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Sunday, December 30

We are one sick family

Well about a week ago Eric went to the doctor and found out he had bronchitis and sinitus. He started taking medicine. Then over the Christmas holiday Brianne started not feeling well. And anyone who has had a sick toddler knows how horrible that is. You feel horrible because you want to make them feel better but they have a hard time telling you what is wrong. I took her to the doctor the day after Christmas and we discovered she had strep. She started taking medicine. Then it's like as soon as my body heard strep it latched on to it because about an hour after the doctors visit my throat started to hurt. I took some Advil and the pain left so I didn't think much of it. Then Friday night the Advil stopped working. I kept waking up in the night not being able to breathe, why you ask...my uvula (the hanging thing in the back of your throat) was about the size of my picky finger. Yeah, that sucked! and it hurt sooooo bad. Eric took me to urgent care and lo and behold, I had strep. I am feeling much better today, the meds have kicked in and things are better. I hate being sick!!

Wednesday, December 26

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to everyone! Sorry I haven't written anything recently. I have been busy with Christmas and getting new flooring installed in our home. I never realized how dirty it was going to get. I should have thought of it knowing that tile had to be pulled up, but I didn't. We were basically out of our house for a week. And we didn't know we were going to be until the first day of production so we had to get out in a hurry. Now I have 2 weeks of laundry to catch up on and all the cleaning of every nook and cranky. And on top of it, it looks like Christmas threw up all over my house! I will be happy when all is back to normal...or somewhere in that general area.

Saturday, December 8

JOE ARPAIO FOR PRESIDENT!!

Maricopa County was spending approx. $18 million dollars a year on stray animals, like cats and dogs. Sheriff Joe offered to take the department over, and the County Supervisors said okay.

The animal shelters are now all staffed and operated by prisoners. They feed and care for the strays. Every animal in his care is taken out and walked twice daily. He now has prisoners who are experts in animal nutrition and behavior. They give great classes for anyone who'd like to adopt an animal. He has literally taken stray dogs off the street, given them to the care of prisoners, and had them place in dog shows. The best part? His budget for the entire department is now under $3 million Teresa and I adopted a Weimeraner from a Maricopa County&! nbsp;shelter two years ago. He was neutered, and current on a ll shots, in great health, and even had a microchip inserted the day we got him. Cost us $78.

The prisoners get the benefit of about $0.28 an hour for working, but most would work for free, just to be out of their cells for the day. Most of his budget is for utilities, building maintenance, etc. He pays the prisoners out of the fees collected for adopted animals.

I have long wondered when the rest of the country would take a look at the way he runs the jail system, and copy some of his ideas. He has a huge farm, donated to the county years ago, where inmates can work, and they grow most of their own fresh vegetables and food, doing all the work and harvesting by hand. He has a pretty good sized hog farm, which provides meat, and fertilizer. It fertilizes the Christmas tree nursery, where prisoners work, and you can buy a living Christmas tree for $6 - $8 for the Holidays, and plant it later. We have s ix trees in our yard from the Prison. Yup, he was reelected last year with 83% of the vote. Now he's in trouble with the ACLU again. He painted all his buses and vehicles with a mural, that has a special hotline phone number painted on it where you can call and report suspected illegal aliens. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement wasn't doing enough in his eyes, so he had 40 deputies trained specifically for enforcing immigration laws, started up his hotline, and bought 4 new buses just for hauling folks back to the border. He's kind of a "Git-R Dun" kind of Sheriff.

TO THOSE OF YOU NOT FAMILIAR WITH JOE ARPAIO HE IS THE MARICOPA ARIZONA COUNTY SHERIFF AND HE KEEPS GETTING ELECTED OVER AND OVER THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY:
Sheriff Joe Arpaio (In Arizona) who created the "Tent City Jail":
He has jail meals down to 40 cents a serving and charges the inmates for them.
He stopped smoking and porno magazines in the jails. Took away their weights Cut off all but "G" movies. He started chain gangs so the inmates could do free work on county and city projects. Then He Started Chain Gangs For Women So He Wouldn't Get Sued For Discrimination. He took away cable TV Until he found out there was A Federal Court Order that Required Cable TV For Jails So He Hooked Up The Cable TV Again Only Let In The Disney Channel And The Weather Channel. When asked why the weather channel He Replied, So They Will Know How Hot Its Gonna Be While They Are Working ON My Chain Gangs. He Cut Off Coffee Since It Has Zero Nutritional Value.
When the inmates complained, he told them, "This Isn't The Ritz/Carlton...If You Don't Like It, Don't Come Back." He bought Newt Gingrich's lecture series on videotape that he pipes into the jails. When asked by a reporter if he had any lecture series by a Democrat, he replied that a democratic lecture series might explain why a lot of the inmates were in his jails in the first place.

More On The Arizona Sheriff:
With Temperatures Being Even Hotter Than Usual In Phoenix (116 Degrees Just Set A New Record), the Associated Press Reports:
About 2,000 Inmates Living In A Barbed-Wire-Surrounded Tent Encampment At The Maricopa County Jail Have Been Given Permission To Strip Down To Their Government-Issued Pink Boxer Shorts. On Wednesday, hundreds of men wearing boxers were either curled up on their bunk beds or chatted in the tents, which reached 138 Degrees Inside The Week Before. Many Were Also Swathed In Wet, Pink Towels As Sweat Collected On Their Chests And Dripped Down To Their PINK SOCKS. "It Feels Like We Are In A Furnace," Said James Zanzot, An Inmate Who Has Lived In The TENTS for 1 year. "It's Inhumane." Joe Arpaio, the tough-guy sheriff who created the tent city and long ago started making his prisoners wear pink, and eat bologna sandwiches, is not one bit sympathetic. He said Wednesday that he told all of the inmates:
"Its 120 Degrees In Iraq And Our Soldiers Are Living In Tents Too, And They Have To Wear Full Battle Gear, But They Didn't Commit Any Crimes, So Shut Your Damned Mouths!"
Way To Go, Sheriff!

Maybe if all prisons were like this one there would be a lot less crime and/or repeat offenders. Criminals should be punished for their crimes - not live in luxury until it's time for their parole, only to go out and commit another crime so they can get back in to live on taxpayers money and enjoy things taxpayers can't afford to have for themselves.
Sheriff Joe was just reelected Sheriff in Maricopa County, Arizona.

Holiday Times

I love this time of the year! Everything has a warm and fuzzy feeling. I love bundling up in a nice cozy sweater and having a cold nose.

Tuesday, November 13

Pictures

This is the week of pictures...Today Brianne has pictures being taken at school. They are really neat because they are "Old Time" pictueres. They dress tehm up in "antique" looking clothes and that pictuers of them in hat boxes and such.
Then on Satruday, we are taking family pictures at Walmart. I just realized last week I better set that up if I want to send them out with my Christmas cards. I am looking forward to it because we haven't had a family picture in a year and Brianne has grown up so much since then. I can't wait to see how they turn out.

Family Visits

My Dad's sister and niece (and their families) were in twon this weekend. They came to celebrate Garndpa's 80th birthday. It was nice to see them again. We don't get to see them very often since they live in Oregon. They were only here for one day, but it was great. It is amazing how much everyone changes.

Thursday, November 8

Fun Times

I went to Brianne's school yesterday, they had a Harvest Festival. It was fun. They made Pumpkin bred together, carved pumpkins, and painted pictures. We had lunch together and then I left, it was time for naps.

Brianne is having so much fun in school. She plays and her vocabulary is increasing. Now my only problem is trying to get her to not take her dirt-filled shoes off in the house.

Tuesday, November 6

Potty Training

Brianne is starting to potty training. Wish us luck! She definitly knows when she is wet. If anyone has some suggestions to help they are always welcome.

Monday, November 5

Soup!

I made a very delicious soup yesterday. It had potatoes, corn, green beans, white beans, black beans, carrots, mushrooms, water chestnuts, and meat. It is so tasty and good for you too. I love to cook! Creating with food is so fun and rewarding when you see someone bite into something you created and their face lights up.

80 Years Old

My grandfather's 80th birthday is today. Wow, what it must be like to have seen 80 years worth of life?! I can't even imagine how many things he has seen and experienced. I hope that I will have that fulfilling of a life.

Thursday, November 1

~Debt free!~

Eric and I have had a great stroke of luck. We have figured out a way to pay off ALL our debt. What a wonderful feeling. We are able to breath easy and have a clear mind. We got the idea from Eric's new job venture of Primerica. What a great oganization. They take a bunch of information about how you are handling your finances now and show you how to take that money and use it to your best advantage. For example, eric did this process with his father and with the way he was going currently he would retire at the ripe age of 92, now that he has shown them how to work their money for them they will retire at 65! What a difference! He can even help you get a loan for a home. If anyone wants help with this, please let me know and I will have Eric contact you. What a great feeling~~~

Best 6 minutes on You Tube...!