Happy Tuesday and swim at your own risk

Another sign found on one of our Florida vacays.

Really? Doesn’t sound like much of a swimming area, does it?

Playing along with Comedy Plus and Happy Tuesday and Peabea’s Pictorial Tuesday.

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Tuesday’s giggle

This was a sign we saw outside an ice cream store at St. John’s Pass Village and Boardwalk January of 2017. The Pass is a seaside area in Madeira Beach, Florida that has all sorts of unique shops and restaurants. Along with shopping and eating, it also is home to a lot of very aggressive seagulls!

Blog hopping with Sandee for Happy Tuesday over at Comedy Plus. 

Awww Monday: Springuary

It’s January  in middle Missouri….and 65F! Unbelievable. Mom and I have walked two days this week without her having to wear a winter coat. Afterwards, we rewarded ourselves with time on the patio with a magazine and a game of “incessantly throw the Kong ball.” A bit of day drinking on her part may or may not have been involved as well. I can’t really be sure of what was in her glass. 🙂

The cold doesn’t really bother me, but I can tell Mom is really enjoying this unseasonably warm weather. However, I have heard her mention the words “groomer” and “trimmed up” so I’m not sure my winter coat will stay as wooly and warm as it is today.

Santa brought me a new toy. We call him Foxy. Mom has successfully sewn him up about four times already. Unfortunately, my play time with Foxy is now limited and supervised.

Blog hopping this sunny Springuary day with Comedy Plus and Awww Monday. Hope everyone is having a spectacular  start to the new year. Say hello to all your fur babies for me

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Awww Tuesday!

No, I’m not confused! I fully intended to post this for Awww Monday, but life got in the way….again. So, I’m combining Awww Monday with Happy Tuesday.

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

The earliest known use of the phrase dates back to 1888 in a book titled, Illustrative Shorthand, by Linda Bronson. The phrase is a pangram—using every letter of the alphabet in a sentence. You may remember this exercise from typing class (if you’re old like me). You may also see it when looking at examples of fonts/typefaces.

Although the quick fox usually stays outside, I did find a lazy dog. But, it probably wouldn’t take too much effort to jump over this one…especially if it should be before 7:30am. 🙂

Blog hopping today with Comedy Plus for Awww Monday and/or Happy Tuesday! I hope everyone is having a grand week and getting in prime condition for Turkey Day on Thursday.

Vogue: A study in conformity and hypocrisy

Wow, Vogue. Just Wow.

I’ve waiting a few days to cool down and collect my thoughts before commenting on this article. If you haven’t read the article Vogue printed about the awful state of white, republican women, you can read it HERE. I don’t know whether to be disgusted, incensed, or whether to laugh at the sheer hypocrisy of their rationale.

Evidently, white woman who vote republican are “confusingly unsisterly” and “don’t care about other women.” If they did, according to the article, obviously they would vote for every Democrat, in every race, everywhere. The Vogue writer makes no bones about their contempt for this voting bloc. Surely they must be parroting their misogynist, patriarchal husbands and their thoughts are being controlled by the GOP.

And, in my opinion, therein lies the hypocrisy.

Democrat organizations that supposedly champion women tout they want us to be strong, independent thinkers…..but only if those thoughts align with their policies and agendas. It’s unthinkable (and definitely not preferable) for women to think any other way. Their elitist attitude doesn’t consider any other opinion.

Conform to the view of the Democratic party and their organizations, and be embraced and celebrated. Don’t conform to a liberal platform and be shunned, criticized and condemned.

Got it. Attack women if they don’t conform. Shame them into doing what others think is best. Demean them if they disagree with what you believe is the correct path. Historically, that sounds very familiar.

Misogyny is the hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against women or girls. Misogyny is manifest in numerous ways, including social exclusion, sex discrimination, hostility, androcentrism, patriarchy, male privilege, belittling of women, violence against women, and sexual objectification.
~Wikipedia

Yes, I’m a white women. Yes, I lean more conservative than liberal. Yes, I’m educated, and have my own thoughts and opinions….sometimes separate from my husband. Yes, I vote Republican….and have been known to vote Democrat on occasion, depending on the office and issue. And yet, Vogue holds me in contempt, belittles me and is hostile to my opinions. Do you see the irony here?

Additionally, I find this article humorous coming from a “fashion magazine” that promotes Exclusive Beauty, Style and Cultural Views. Vogue, a magazine that perpetuates youth and beauty through genetically-altered images of women (aka PhotoShop); Vogue, a magazine whose pages can result in lowered self-esteem among those who don’t look or dress like the pictures within their pages; Vogue, a magazine that promotes exclusive brands and styles that, while beautiful and attractive, no average woman could even dream about affording.

To be honest, I have not picked up a Vogue magazine for years. Perhaps its intellectually stimulating now. Perhaps substantial content pages outnumber (or even equal) the pages of paid fashion and beauty ads pandering to women’s insecurities. Perhaps now it’s an accurate reflection of the average 21st century woman’s style and appearance. Perhaps.

Democrat candidates are not entitled to my vote simply because I’m a woman. “Women’s issues” cover much more than the hot buttons of reproductive rights and abortion that are hauled out front and center most of the time. Taxes, economy, safety…those are women’s issues as well.

My foremothers fought and died for my right to vote. I wrote about it HERE. I take this responsibility very seriously. Show me a candidate with a legitimate, common sense, pro-active plan of action, based on reality and achievable goals. Show me a candidate who understands what it takes for the average family to be prosperous for many generations. Show me a candidate that respects this country’s constitution and values above their own political agenda. Show me that candidate and I’ll seriously consider voting for her or him.

Pander to hot-button, emotional issues hoping to sway my vote….and you’ve lost me. Show me the only passion you have is overthrowing the majority party and being an obstructionist because you didn’t get your way….and you’ve lost me. Show me all you care about is demonizing and disrespecting your opponents…and you’ve lost me. Spend money uncontrollably on expensive, unnecessary programs that only further personal agendas OR refuse to acknowledge waste and corruption in current government spending….and you’ve lost me.

Honestly, I see very little difference between Republicans and Democrats. Both parties want power at any cost…and they are not above lying, cheating and stealing to get it done. Both parties give false hope and make promises they have no intention of fulfilling. Both parties campaign on hope and change in the Washington DC machine, but in reality, when they get there, are only interested in supporting the status quo because they personally benefit from it. Many times my voting decisions are based on the lesser of two evils listed on the ballot.

So, I’m sorry Vogue (but not really) for not conforming to your perfect ideal of what a woman should do in the voting booth. But, I can assure you that by continuing to label me as unsisterly, criticizing and condemning my choices, demonizing and insulting my intellect…..you will lose me every time.

October Photo Challenge: Oh, The Places I’ve Been

October is finished and it’s time again for PJ’s photo challenge. This month’s prompt is Oh, The Places You’ll Go. This is so open to interpretation, but I chose the traditional route because….It was a very busy month! But, since I sometimes don’t do well with rules, a couple of these have more than one photo. So, without further delay, here’s my five (or seven) for October.

You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go…
~Dr. Seuss, Oh, The Places You’ll Go!

Place #1
Yes, it’s a Disney baby shower, and we all were required asked to wear mouse ears in honor of the mommy-to-be. She books tours/trips to Disneyworld and loves all things Disney, so it was a very appropriate theme. Here are six pseudo-Disney princesses having some family fun together.

Place #2
I went with Peanut’s 4th grade class to the St. Louis zoo in early October. The calendar said October, but the temps believed it was still August.

The day turned out to be almost 90 degrees. Her friend’s mom and I checked our daughter/granddaughter out at the end of the day to save them from a hot, two-hour bus ride back to school. Of course we went directly to the ice cream stand…and then to the “bug house.”

Place #3
And, in just a week or so after the zoo, the temps dipped back to normal just in time to spend a chilly morning at the Hartsburg Pumpkin Festival. This sleepy, little river town has a population of just over 100 people. But every year during their pumpkin festival, the town swells to about 50,000. Vendors offer everything from fine art to homemade crafts. In true Autumn spirit, you can find apple butter, homemade pies and candy, kettle corn, turkey legs…and, of course, tens of thousands of pumpkins and gourds for purchase.

Place #4
Just when I’d thought I’d had quite enough of pumpkins, Twix’s preschool class went on a field trip to….you guessed it….a local pumpkin patch. We spent most of the day feeding barnyard animals, playing in a corn crib, riding a hay wagon, and picking our own pumpkins. Picnicking  with six four-year-old preschoolers was an interesting experience.

Place #5
The end of October is usually go-time for the trees to begin shedding their leaves. So when Peanut had a day off school, we let Twix play hooky from preschool, grabbed the camera and headed to a local nature area and park to capture some Autumn memories before they grow up any more than they already have.

Those are my pics for the places I went this month. Hop on over to PJ’s to see where others went this month.

The last little bit of goodness

On a preschool field trip to a pumpkin patch last week, I noticed a patch of sunflowers that were a bit past their prime. While my eye saw flowers that were ending their life cycle, it also saw a bee busily tending to the center of each flower, pulling out every last bit of delicious nectar. And, I thought, wouldn’t it be nice if  we all adopted that mindset? To tend to all aspects of life by focusing our efforts in pulling out all the goodness in it? Regardless of how bad a situation appears, there is always sweetness for those who wish to work at drawing it out.

And, then I found this quote:
Be like the honeybee who gathers only nectar wherever it goes. Seek the goodness that is found in everyone.
~Mata Amritanandamayi

Wow, this is timely. Raise your hand if you’re sick and tired of this political season. I believe we all are sick and tired of the pettiness, lies and vitriol that seems to be a part of every political campaign this year. Unfortunately, I don’t believe it’s limited to politics. We, as a society, seem to have forgotten how to see any other position except our own. We don’t extend courtesy to anyone who has a different view, and we certainly don’t listen to their side of anything if it differs from our own.

I believe there is a profound message in this little bee who was completely oblivious to my presence. I’m very happy I saw him that morning. It made me stop and think about my attitude towards life.

Blog hopping today with Comedy Plus and Awww Mondays.