FREEDOM IS NOT FREE

I saw the info and link for FREEDOM IS NOT FREE on Marjorie Liu's site WEB PETALS and thought I'd share it with you. Maybe you've already heard about it since they've been on several TV shows promoting the charity. Yeah, I know it's February already, but buying one of these calendars is for such a good cause. I got one for each of my sisters...maybe I'll make it a annual tradition.

BTW, cool pic of Gerard Butler on Ms. Liu's post today as well. Yeah, well, I'm a fan what can I say.

Going Home

What do you say to this 25 year old? I'm hooked on The Sandbox. If you have a minute, take a look at this. He obviously has parents, but I want to adopt him. I want to adopt them all. God speed guys. I hope you all get home safe and sound to your families.

Love Actually

There is so much going on in my little corner of the blogosphere! CindyS isn't sleeping. Nikki is having cluster headaches. Wendy is still getting ready to move when she isn't ogling the cute guy changing out her florescent lights at work. Jodi found out she should be a martini for Halloween. Gabrielle reminded me how f**king fantastic it is to work in Paris. Holly has no heat for cripes sakes and her son has his first crush all in the same week. Karen can't believe how ridiculous the press is over Madonna's recent adoption when there are so many more news worthy things to report. Many of us are excited about new fall TV programming like Heroes, and returning favs like Grey's Anatomy. Tara Marie is thinking about starting a new business (go TM!) and my sister Mary is working on getting her groove back after making her latest move with her husband who is in the Air Force. Over at Let's Gab, Anne's got the news blues.

These are just a few of the sites I visit on a regular basis and things I remembered off the top of my head from the last couple of days. Today the potent combination of reading your posts got me thinking. Anne's post about the negative and depressing news not only was food for thought, but reminded me of something I try to work on, especially when there are particularly sad or distressing events going on in the world. Sometimes it is very discouraging and depressing isn't it? But it also reminds me that I believe my role as a human being on the planet is at a minimum be a witness to what is happening. Then I try to do whatever small part I can by voting, by donations, by posting about what I see and feel is wrong. It helps me not to feel so helpless. Anne's post helped me feel connected to that feeling and to her in a small way.

While I have had a rant or two over the press going overboard and focusing or fussing about some celeb scandal, much like Karen posted today about Madonna, I commented that maybe someone else will feel compelled to adopt a baby and give it a home like Madonna has and Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. If kids are helped, that's a good thing. My kids are adopted and we get mixed signals from people about it all the time. I know it's not the same thing as celebrities adopting third world kids, but I felt connected to Karen's post because of my adoption experience and the feelings that in general the western world focuses on all the wrong things.

There's news to be found on the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. The people who care and have a loved one serving are reading the accounts. Gabrielle opened my eyes and my heart this week with a link to The Sandbox. The Sandbox was started by cartoonist Garry Trudeau, who does Doonesbury, for troops to post their thoughts. I cried. These are real people sharing their experiences. I'm a military brat, my sister's husband is in the Air Force. I feel connected to military families. I remember what it was like to have a Dad flying night missions from Thailand during the Vietnam war when everyone and their brother wanted us out of there and the war was so unpopular. Reading the thoughts of those men and women serving is so moving.

So my point is that even though one might be sitting at a PC or laptop and feel futile or superfluous, your thoughts, lives, opinions and book reviews touch the people who visit and read. So when Zeek asked us a couple days ago about whether or not the men in our life think romance is porn and Kristie dedicates a whole post to our thoughts, I think back on all the subjects that were important in our lives this past week and marvel that the common thread is romance novels. Isn't that incredible? Isn't that amazing? Porn couldn't create a community like that, but maybe a love story could.

Books, Vets, Vegas & why I need a break!!

First of all I want to thank all of you who have left suggestions for books. I've actually written a couple of them down to check out and lucky for me the Katherine Allred book DID come out Thursday at Cerridwen Press so I bought that already. I'm going to print it out and take it with me on my trip this weekend.

Today is Veterans Day. I think about and say a prayer for the families who are separated and have someone serving overseas in Afghanistan or Iraq. I can't imagine living with the worry and fear for your loved one who is serving.

My Dad was a fighter pilot in the USAF and served during the Vietnam War, two of his brothers fought in WW II, I have a brother and nephew who are U.S. Navy vets and my brother-in-law is in missles in the USAF now, so the day has some significance to our family. Growing up a military brat and now seeing my sister Mary and her husband living a nomadic life in the military I'm reminded that like serving in our communities as fire fighters and police officers, it is a noble profession. One we take for granted.

Recently I watched A FEW GOOD MEN again with the guy I live with. You know that while the Jack Nicholson character turns out to be the bad guy, he makes a valid point in his monologue about serving. We do take our military and the security they provide us for granted. I'm not talking about the war in Iraq either. I am talking about serving without complaint and being prepared to defend your country and its' citizens even unto death. It ain't no small thing. I lift my glass to all who serve their communities whether as teachers, fire fighters, police officers or in the armed forces.

Which brings me to this weekend. GG and I are off to fabulous LAS VEGAS!! All I can say is "What happens in Vegas...stays in Vegas!" I'll clue you in on Monday, but needless to say I'm soooooo looking forward to the break.

As to why I need the break...what else...the effing job!! However, I go on my trip with a lighter heart because we truly received a gift from God today. The perfect candidate for the job sent in a resume and has already gone through preliminary interviews. So I'm breathing easier knowing they have an almost cookie cutter perfect person to take my place with a minimum of stress and training due to his extensive experience. Talk about taking a load off my mind! Whew! Now I have even more reason to live it up in Sin City.

I'll fill you in on the goings on next week. Now all I have to worry about is the two child units not burning down the house or killing each other while I'm gone.

8 calendar days and 5 work days until LIBERATION!