Is There Any End In Sight?

Unbelievable! How much money can our government actually go through before they realize that there is not a grove of money trees on the South Lawn? CNN reports, "All told, the government estimates some 64 million Americans will receive the one-time stimulus checks this year, at a cost of $13 billion to the federal budget." 13 billion dollars. Like it is simply pocket change, that is the amount being offered to a large body of retirees and disabled persons on fixed incomes. (http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/05/07/seniors.stimulus/index.html)

There was no overall inflation this year, in fact, many expenses have deflated this past year, so there was no cost of living increase. Now I know it is hard to live on a fixed income and I am sure I will have a better understanding of it while living in those shoes. But I do know that the reasoning behind the offering of this money does not match the payoff.

1. We are paying this because there was no cost of living increase in payments. Okay, but if there are no significant changes in the inflation index, it does not cost more to live.

2. I heard today that it is being offered to help offset the sagging housing market because many seniors sell their homes and will lose money. Okay. But are they trying to tell us that $250 will make up for the losses experienced on selling a home? Gimme a break!

Could it be that it is being released just in time to try to appease a very large group of people who are very concerned over the looming health care debate? 13 billion dollars used to be shocking to people 30 years ago - it was still considered a very large number. Now it seems to be a disposable amount! Sorry Mom and Dad, but what it costs the nation doesn't seem a good trade off for the small gain it brings you. After all, we all want free money, but Dad taught me long ago that there is no such thing - somebody, somewhere pays for it!

I am concerned for our children and grandchildren who are going to be left with nothing but a suffocating national debt to a myriad of foreign nations! Our national debt is currently over 11 trillion dollars! And what is our answer? "Let's throw some more money at it!" It is pure insanity! What does 11 trillion dollars look like? $11,000,000,000,000.00. We simply get lost in all the zeros. This is our NATIONAL DEBT! Not our deficit, that is different. Our deficit adds to our debt every year. I think that our congressmen and women have simply gotten lost in all those numbers.

And the proposed health plans are going to cost us even more. What's more is that we cannot pay for what we are doing now, and they want to add more to bucket? Granted, we need to address some of the problems in our current health care system - but the thought of totally revamping the best care in the world is ludicrous.

There are some who have told me that the best is "no good at all" if some people cannot receive that care. Again, I agree that some elements of our health care system need to be addressed, but a total and radical overhaul to make our system more like that of the socialist nations would be crazy.

I had the opportunity to live in Holland for nearly four years while in the military and experienced socialized medicine firsthand. Adam was born in Utrecht, Netherlands, where Dawn stayed in an open, concrete walled bay with 14 other women. The patients in several bays shared a common bathroom and shower for the entire floor. We had a Dutch neighbor who was a friend and happened to be a highly specialized "in vitro surgeon" who earned about the same wages I was making as an E-5, Staff Sergeant in the US Air Force. He hoped to be able to move to America some day to practice medicine with the best equipment available.

The stories go on, but I don't want to put to sleep those of you who made it this far. I am concerned that these proposals our government is considering will drive our costs up while diminishing the great quality of medicine we enjoy in this country. There are some great concepts being tossed around that do not require a total overhaul of the system and I hope that common sense and reason will be the order of the day.

After all, if I were to go into extreme debt and never bring in more than I spent, there would be an abundance of agencies knocking on my door and taking all that I have to try to offset that debt. One day, they will come knocking on the door of America! Then what?

Winter already?

It seems to be that time of year to begin preparing for winter. This evening was spent getting the camper winterized since this morning we walked out into a very heavy frost! News reports are showing snow in some of the upper elevations out west, many of which we were riding through just a few months ago on our motorcycle!

Odd to see them getting pelted with snow already. It seems like we were out there just a few weeks ago... CRAZY how fast time marches on by! After all, I just finished the video of our Great Adventure, maybe that is why it doesn't seem like so long ago.

We still have quite a bit more to do to get ready for the deep freeze that seems to be coming our way over the next few months. Is this winter going to be unusually bad? Many are predicting that and the way it is starting off, it sure seems possible!

All I have to say is, it is very nice to have an evening free to take care of some of those chores! I had to do them alone though, because Dawn is really under the weather with a pretty bad cold. Poor girl is all congested with the scratchy throat thing going on, chilly, then warm, etc. Of course, in this case, she really does not have to "share and share alike"! Honest, I will understand!

Sunrise, Sunset

As Dawn and I were preparing for our wedding, my mom requested very little of us. But one thing she did ask, was to have the song, "Sunrise, Sunset," performed during the ceremony. I thought she was crazy. Did you ever hear that song? It sounded like an old persons song! "Okay, Mom, we can have Uncle Lou sing it just for you."

What seemed like only a few seasons later, we watched our own children growing and often pondered those lyrics from Fiddler on the Roof...

Is this the little girl I carried?
Is this the little boy at play?
I don't remember growing older.
When did they?
When did she get to be a beauty?
When did he grow to be this tall?
Wasn't it yesterday when they were small?

Sunrise, sunset.
Sunrise, sunset.
Swiftly flow the days.
Seedlings turn overnight to sunflowers,
Blossoming even as we gaze.
Sunrise, sunset.
Sunrise, sunset.
Swiftly fly the years.
One season following another,

Laden with happiness and tears.

As I watch Adam playing some game on his computer, I often flashback to simpler times when he would be jumping - yes, literally jumping with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as he battled the other mutants on his Nintendo 64. Somewhere along the way he has outgrown the jumping part but still enjoys a good video game.

Well, Jackie came home for an overnight visit and as she took a phone call from a friend, she happened to be standing in front of our french doors in our living room. She has grown to be a very impressive young lady in so many ways. My attention was drawn through the doors onto the deck where my mind flashed back to the days when she would climb onto the railing and treat it like a balance beam. She would say, "Look Dad, I'm in the Olympics," then proceed to walk back and forth on the narrow five inch rail cap.

My heart would pound a little faster as I quickly calculated how many things could go wrong, but would respond with something like, "Go get 'em kid! Just watch your step, okay?"

Sometimes both of them were so brave and others they simply needed the comfort of our embrace. I cannot help but marvel at how much the Lord has blessed us over the years in countless ways. And in those blessings, I am still amazed at how many sunrises and sunsets fly by in fast motion leaving us to wonder, can this be my little girl? Can this be my little boy? They seem to have grown so quickly... I still find myself saying to them through my thoughts, prayers and words, "Go get 'em kid! Just watch your step, okay?"

Of course, sometimes the way they act I wonder, should I have some DNA tests done to see if they really are mine?

HAHAHA... just kidding, just kidding! They are unmistakably ours and we will keep them. You guys bring us great joy! Keep on, keepin' on!

It Has Been A While!

I simply cannot believe how fast time seems to zip on by! Has it truly been over 2 weeks since my last posting? So much has happened... I'm not gonna lie! My days have been jam packed with students, band and "run here; run there!"

Some great news? Our marching band participated in the Clarion Autumn Leaf Festival Parade last Saturday morning and finished first in class! Of course, my students were ecstatic! Way to go band!!

Other news? Dawn's Mom has had some pretty rough days but she is tough, just when you think she has had enough she bounces back strong as ever. The past couple days have been very good for her and in a couple more days, we will be celebrating her birthday.

More news? Jackie's wedding plans are moving right along. She is more excited than ever and has already decided on some of the details for the big day. Will is more than happy to let her run with it since he has started his new job in Chico, California.

Yes, life is rolling right along. Sometimes it seems that I am dangling by a string that is attached to a rocket streaking out into orbit! Have you ever felt like that?

Our First Paxton Family Reunion

It is true. This was our first ever Paxton Reunion and I must say, we had a great time! Where else could you get a bundle of black, white and pink pipe cleaners with the instructions to make a Holstein for a competition? Yes, you read that right, a "Holstein competition". You know me and Jackie when it comes to a competition - we went right to work!

When all of the twisting, bending and laughing was over, the table was covered in cows. But take a close look at the cow on the bottom left of the picture - the one that is laying down because it was made pancake style. Hmmm.... someone (not mentioning any names) thought they would cut some corners and rely on paying off the judges. More to come on the outcome later in this posting.

By that time in the evening, we were already very well fed - thanks Susan for another tremendous meal! Wow. Will was right, nobody goes away from a Paxton gathering hungry or wanting for anything. If you do, it is your own fault! Every base was covered from the pulled pork to the great desserts - fantastic!
We were even granted permission to wear the official "Paxton Gear" (of course we had to sign a formal agreement that we would not air any portion of the afternoon without written permission from the league... hahaha)
The long awaited vote finally came from Bill and John that kept everyone on the edge of their seats! It was really funny to hear all of the areas that the Holstein experts pointed out in each of the entries, but in the end they had to name a winner and two "runner-ups." After much deliberation, they placed all of the Holsteins entered. It was nice to see that our entry, Flow-ie, placed and won a price. Wondering which one we made? She is the real pretty one with a bow on her tail that is standing right above "Pancake Girl". [hahahaha just kidding!] (By the way, thanks for the apples, I had a couple tonight and they are delicious!)

The pancake Holstein? Last place. Lesson? It doesn't pay to try to schmooze the judges!

The girls certainly enjoyed some time to catch up on some chatter. Aren't they cute?

Seriously, thanks to all of the family members that we got to meet today. You have all made us feel like part of the family already!

Yuck!

Home sick today! Blah! I really hate having to stay home when I'm sick, don't you?

It seems that we just don't have the energy to really do anything of substance. Can't really go anywhere cause we don't want to pollute other people. We just feel gross! Personally, I would rather stay at work and at least do something productive, saving my sick days for retirement!

But the people around us deserve a bit of courtesy too. We are called to share with those less fortunate than us, but I don't think they want this!

Dawn was wondering if it is the swine flu. I really don't think so, because when I looked in the mirror my reflection boar no more of a resemblance to a pig than normal! Haha! [cough, cough... don't worry, that was into my elbow!]

Engaged!!!

The question many people are asking us "Really, what do you guys think about this?"

Well really both Greg and I are really excited and extremely happy for both Will and Jackie! Remember we have known Jackie for many years, we know her heart pretty well, her hopes her dreams. Will fits, he adores her, balances her, fits her dreams, LOVES her fully!

We haven't know Will years and years, but what we have gotten to know about him we approve. Did we tell you he LOVES her! We know they will have their challenges in the upcoming years, but haven't we all. They already are on the right track in their communication skills, keep working on that. We feel the most important thing they have going for them is they are trying to keep God as the center, yeah for them that will serve them well in all that they do.

I remember all the people who told Greg and I we were too young to be looking at getting married. As parents of Jackie we thank God that you are both committed enough to each other that you want to get married and not just live together until you are sure this is what you want. True love = commitment.

We love you both and couldn't be happier for you both or more proud of you both!

Notice the jealous dog in the picture? I think he is having the hardest time with this. He doesn't like it that he has been replaced as the love of Jackie's life.