Adjustment

I'm saddened to say last week when I fell behind on my Book of Mormon challenge I didn't do as great as I'd hoped in catching up.  The good news is, I am caught up so that now if I still read six pages every day until the end of the year I'll finish on Dec 31.  Woohoo!

I'm definitely staying on track this time.  Swear.  Join me, even if you're just starting.  Pick up where we are.  Tonight I read through page 159.  Mosiah.  Some great stuff I want to blog about later.  This weekend will be crazy but hopefully I'll at least come back to these chapters on Monday because they were very thought provoking.  But for now, I must sleep.

Oh yeah, and please note I've updated the chart on the right side of my blog.

Yes on Prop 8

My 4 year old nephew Ryan, doing his part.

So I have to take just a minute to mention how impressed I've been with all the effort put forth from the members of the LDS church (and probably others, I just specifically hear about the LDS since I'm a member) specifically my parents, sister and her family, and brother and his wife, toward promoting Prop 8.

I spoke with my dad for a while today and we talked about all the campaigning for (and against) Prop 8.  It's raised more money ($6 million) than any other prop (or measure....not sure of the correct term here) than any other in the history of the United States.  Pretty amazing.  My family and friends have given so much time putting signs up every day (that have been taken down during the night) making cold calls, contacting neighbors, and not to mention donating money for this cause.

I couldn't be more proud of my Californians.

I will admit when I first learned of Prop 8 I struggled with how I felt, however after researching it I've come to realize that I truly am for it.  I strongly encourage anyone out there who does not know where they stand, or doesn't understand what exactly Prop 8 will do, to really look into it.

There's a really great video on Youtube that explains what will happen should Prop 8 not pass.  I encourage you to watch it.

And one more....sorry, I can't help myself

Cycle of democracy

A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government.  It can only exist until the voters discover they can vote themselves largess from the public treasury.

From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising them the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship.

The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been 200 years.  These nations have progressed through this sequence:

1. From bondage to spiritual faith
2. From spiritual faith to great courage
3. From courage to liberty
4. From liberty to abundance
5. From abundance to selfishness
6. From selfishness to apathy
7. From apathy to dependence
8. From dependency back again into bondage.

Compliments of www.wrisley.com

I'd say we're at about #6, headed towards the end.  I'm just sayin...

Vote.

'Twas the night after elections and all through the town

Tempers were flaring, emotions all up and down!

I in my bathrobe with a cat in my lap

Had cut off the TV, tired of political crap.

When all of a sudden, there arose such a noise,

I peered out my window and saw Obama and his boys.

They had come for my wallet, they wanted my pay

To give to the others, who had not worked a day!

He snatched up my money, and quick as a wink,

Jumped back on his bandwagon as I gagged from the stink.

He then rallied his henchmen who were pulling his cart,

I could tell they were out to tear my country apart!

On Fannie, on Freddie, on Biden and Ayers!

On Acorn, on Pelosi, he screamed at the pairs!

They took off for his cause and as he flew out of sight

I heard him laugh at the nation who wouldn't stand up and fight!

So I leave you to think, on this one final note,

IF YOU DON'T WANT SOCIALISM GET OUT AND VOTE!!

Sorry Mom.

Whitney posted about a site that asks you an assortment of questions, and then tells you what locations best match your ideal place in which to live.  The questions vary from price of a house/rent, religion, weather, and culture.

Here are the top 24 places I'd be most happy:

1. Long Island, New York
2. New York City, New York
3. El Paso, Texas
4. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
5. Norfolk, Virginia
6. Phoenix, Arizona
7. Manhattan, New York
8. Augusta, Georgia
9. Charlotte, North Carolina
10. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
11. Charleston, South Carolina
12. Tucson, Arizona
13. Orlando, Florida
14. Chesapeake-Virginia Beach, Virginia
15. Carlisle, Pennsylvania
16. Fort Worth, Texas
17. Tampa, Florida
18. Houston, Texas
19. Jacksonville, Florida
20. Dallas, Texas
21. Memphis, Tennessee
22. Nashville, Tennessee
23. West Palm Beach, Florida
24. Atlanta, Georgia

Sorry Mom, looks like I won't be moving to California anytime soon.  But the good news is it looks like I'm currently in the right place!

Happy Halloween!

Taking out the trash

Dear friends, in an effort to fill my head with less smut I've decided to go cold turkey and drop these shows.  GG shouldn't be too tough, as I was starting to hate it anyway.  The characters annoy me and I can't stand how ridiculously far fetched it is.  Did Serena really say to her mom, with a completely serious face, "I'm sorry I embarrassed you in front of a national magazine"??  I mean, I guess the same thing can be said about some of my other shows, but this one is just too much for me.  I think the hardest part will just be missing out on all the water cooler talk, which was the reason I started watching in the first place.  But I'm happy to no longer deal with Serena talking like her jaw is permanently locked in the same, almost closed, position, and Chuck's hideous pout.  I will miss, however, Blair's impeccable style.

Grey's will be more difficult.  Granted, it's not nearly as good as it was the first three seasons, but still, I've been a fan from the beginning.  It's just gone too far.  I mean, it's always been a little racy, but last week's episode really crossed the line.  I don't mind that there's a lesbian couple, I really don't.  It's just the graphic nature in which their relationship is discussed that I can't stand.  If those conversations were being had about a hetero couple I still wouldn't like it.  I actually wrote a letter to ABC because I really think they're going to lose viewers.  Everyone with whom I spoke felt the same way I did about Thursday's episode.

So, goodbye MerDer.  I hope for everyone's sake you'll be happy and get married and make beautiful babies.  And Iz, move on.  Alex is a total jerk.  He can't help it, but he's not going to change.  And George, figure it out.  Lexi is the best thing to ever happen to you.

Maybe one day I'll pick up the show again, but at this time in my life, I just can't.

Thanks for the support friends.....I'm taking baby steps.  I realize how much I've obsessed over SATC in prior postings, and that isn't exactly clean.  Luckily that show is long gone.  

Baby steps.

*PS It should be noted I do not judge those who love these shows and watch religiously.  I just can't watch them for my own reasons, at this point.  For the rest of you, happy viewing!!

Confession

I've fallen off the wagon.  I've totally blown it on scripture reading over the weekend and am now playing catch up.  But guess what?  The good news is I can catch up, and will be back by Sunday.  So can you.  Or just pick up where you're supposed to be.  It's up to you.

Just a few notes from last night and tonight's reading.

Last night I was reading aloud over the phone with my reading buddy.  I've been a little frustrated lately because I'm having a really hard time understanding what I've been reading, and especially applying what I've read to my own life.  The Isaiah chapters kill me.  I frequently feel like my eyes are going over the words but nothing's really coming from my reading other than being able to check it off the list for that day, and really what does that even do?

My friend told me something that helps him.  He said I should just try to take one thing from my reading.  If I can just connect with one verse I should feel like I've had success.  And if I don't find that connection?  It's okay.  I can try again tomorrow.  So that's my goal for these difficult reading days, and it can be yours too.

I'm actually in the middle of tonight's reading right now, but wanted to jot down a couple thoughts.

In 2 Nephi 28:29 we read:

Wo be unto him that shall say: We have received the word of God, and we need no more of the word of God, for we have enough!

This one immediately made me think of how I can apply it in my life.  I love General Conference, but how many times have I felt like, okay, I've watched hours of this and I'm sort of ready to be done.  I'm sure a lot of you are probably shocked, and soak every second of it in, but I struggle with it.  And more commonly, sometimes I find myself dragging a little, thinking about how we spend 3 whole hours at church on Sunday.  When I break it down, really that's nothing.  It's 1/8 of one day out of 7 days in a week.  How many hours do I spend working, watching tv, talking on the phone, wasting time on the computer, and socializing?  How ridiculous for me to think that three hours is such a sacrifice.

Lastly, in 2 Nephi 28:32 we read:

Wo be unto the Gentiles, saith the Lord God of Hosts!  For notwithstanding I shall lengthen out mine arm unto them from day to day, they will deny me; nevertheless, I will be merciful unto them, saith the Lord God, if they will repent and come unto me; for mine arm is lengthened out all the day long, saith the Lord God of Hosts.

All the day long.  

Talk about awesome.  This one stirred up an overwhelming amount of emotion.  It really hit me like a ton of bricks, remember how much God loves us.  Regardless of how accepting we are, we have a loving Heavenly Father whose arm is stretched out to us, waiting for us to reach up and grab His hand.  I was just so amazed at the thought of how much He loves me.  How much he loves you.

Foliage is the new sunset

So last Sunday Courtnie had a great idea to head north about an hour to go apple picking at check out the foliage.  It's always nice to get out of the city every once in a while.  So after Sacrament Meeting Court, Britt, Maria, and I hopped in a Zipcar and headed out.

I honestly died over the trees.  I think I took like 160 pictures.  We were like ridiculous tourists, snapping our cameras every five seconds.  These pictures don't even come close to doing justice.

Remember this post? So this picture below is exactly what my view looked like on the plane, for miles.  Just packs and packs of trees in every colors.

This little town Sugar Loaf was so darling.

Loved this house.

I loved this picture because of the contrast of the yellow tree's branches pointing up next to the pine tree's pointing down.

We were so excited.

I almost fell over trying to get my head down so low.

Someone's backyard.  Amazing.

Britt and Court.

Loved this little place on the side of the road.

Picking out my pumpkin.

Court, Britt, me, and Maria.

Court and Britt.

I loved the woodsy background on the right.

We loved all the houses.  No cookie-cutter here.  Everything looked different.

Found mine.

Obviously I died over this one with the purple doors.

Can you believe this is just an hour outside the concrete jungle?

Three little piggies at the apple farm.

Right before we were ransacked by a million little kids wanting their picture taken.

So we didn't actually make it to the apple orchards in time to pick apples, lame, I know.  We still got a lot of great photos and Britt and I had some amazing apple pie.

So you can't really even tell what this is but it was totally dark at this point, I had to do the best I could with lightening it up on my computer.  There are houses that back up to this amazing lake with all the trees.  I can't even imagine living there.

After we got back we dropped off the car in Brooklyn and subway'd it back into the city.

So I honestly died over the trees.  I kept saying I could never live in California again and be a happy girl with how much I'm loving the fall.  Who woulda' thunk it???  I just can't get over how much I'm loving the seasons.  Last year we didn't really have much of a fall so I've been obsessed this year.  Autumn in New York really is everything everyone says it is and more.