Tuesday, March 31, 2009

my home town.....

Battlefield bill signing celebrated
by by evening news staff , last modified March 31. 2009 11:06AM


Area residents, officials and members of the historical community shared a celebretory moment Monday afternoon: a champagne toast celebrating the inclusion of the River Raisin battlefield in the National Park Service.
Just hours after President Barack Obama signed a lands bill that designated the River Raisin National Battlefield Park a unit of the park service, supporters of the effort gathered at Monroe Bank & Trust to mark the occasion.
The battlefield, near E. Elm Ave. and N. Dixie Hwy., was the scene of one of the bloodiest battles of the War of 1812. Out of nearly 1,000 American troops that took part in the clash, only 33 escaped death or capture. It is viewed as one of the turning points in the war.
The City of Monroe and Monroe County Historical Society have secured much of the property related to the battlefield and cleared it. The land now will be donated to the National Park Service for development of an interpretive historical park.
U.S. Rep. John D. Dingell, D-Dearborn, who played a key role in ushering the measure into the lands bill, wasn't in attendance Monday, but was there in spirit, supplying the champagne. His field representative, Josh Myers, appeared on his behalf and said no taxpayer money was spent on the toast and celebration.
"As Americans, we possess few blessings greater than the vast and varied landscapes that stretch the breadth of our continent," President Obama said in signing the law in Washington. "Our lands have always provided great bounty -food and shelter for the first Americans, for settlers and pioneers; the raw materials that grew our industry; the energy that powers our economy.
"What these gifts require in return is our wise and responsible stewardship. As our greatest conservationist president, Teddy Roosevelt, put it almost a century ago, ‘I recognize the right and duty of this generation to develop and use the natural resources of our land; but I do not recognize the right to waste them, or to rob, by wasteful use, the generations that come after us.'
"That's the spirit behind the bipartisan legislation I'm signing today - legislation among the most important in decades to protect, preserve, and pass down our nation's most treasured landscapes to future generations," President Obama said.

U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, D-Michigan, who shepherded the bill through the Senate, issued a statement saying he was thrilled the president signed the bill.

He said the provisions of the bill "will pay dividends for years to come by protecting natural beauty and history in Michigan while also encouraging tourism and recreation and celebrating everything our state has to offer."

Sunday, March 29, 2009

April 2nd is World Autism Day

World Autism Day

message from the UN
To Enable Children and Persons with Autism to Lead Full and Meaningful Lives is Not a Far-Off Dream

Message on World Autism Awareness Day, 2 April 2009

VIENNA, 2 April (UN Information Service) - By designating 2 April as World Autism Awareness Day, the United Nations General Assembly has helped to galvanize international efforts to promote greater understanding about autism. This year's observance is being marked with lectures, briefings, screenings, musical performances, video conferences, art installations and other activities carried out by the UN family and a full constellation of partners.

I welcome this growing international chorus of voices calling for action to enable children and persons with autism to lead full and meaningful lives. This is not a far-off dream; it is a reality that can be attained by promoting positive perceptions about autism as well as a greater social understanding of this growing challenge.

I have seen what caring people who work tirelessly for this goal can achieve. Last year, the United Nations hosted a rock concert by Rudely Interrupted, whose members have various disabilities, including on the autism spectrum. They brought the audience to its feet with warm, communicative songs and showed, through the sheer joy of their performance, how much people with disabilities can offer the world.

The words of lead singer Rory Burnside were especially inspiring. "My advice", he said, "to kids who have some form of disability is: don't let it stop you. Use it as your strength; don't use it as your weakness. One red light can lead to a whole bunch of green lights, with a few orange lights thrown in. And the red lights are just a bit of a test. There are definitely more green and orange".

On World Autism Awareness Day, let us capture and share this spirit, and let us intensify global efforts to ensure that children and persons with autism everywhere can benefit from the supportive environment they need to reach their full potential and contribute to society.

Friday, March 27, 2009

Just finished reading


Confessions of a Counterfeit Farm Girl
Susan McCorkindale - Author

A laugh-out-loud memoir about a city slicker who discovers that Manolos and manure just don’t mix. At her husband’s prompting, suburban mom and New York career woman Susan McCorkindale agreed to give up her stressful six-figure job. Together, they headed down south to a 500-acre beef farm, and never looked back. Well, he didn’t look back. She did. A lot.From playing “spot the religious billboard” on the drive to rural Virginia, to adapting to a world without Starbucks, to planning bright-orange hunter-resistant wardrobes for the kids (“We moved here to get away from the madness of Manhattan only to risk getting popped on our own property”), this is her hilarious account of how a city girl came to love—or at least tolerate—country life.


This is a great memoir, I could not put down. This maybe be the first year, that I was that engrossed (besides IT) .... She has a blog too... of course

I have to run back to the library and return books and pay our over due fees....

true


Cypriots and U.N. soldiers in asparagus standoff Fri Feb 27, 2009 10:51am EST


NICOSIA (Reuters) - U.N. peacekeepers have upset traditional wild asparagus harvesters on the ethnically divided island of Cyprus by preventing them from entering a buffer zone to gather the tasty shoots.
U.N. soldiers, restricting access to the buffer zone which splits the island from east to west after Cyprus was divided in a Turkish invasion in 1974 triggered by a Greek-inspired coup, say they are only doing their job, but residents are livid.
"This is unacceptable behavior and I have demanded that action is taken," said Nicos Kotziambashis, leader of the Greek Cypriot village of Mammari which has been particularly hit by the U.N. ban. "The situation is explosive."
"It is not something we particularly like to do but unfortunately if the asparagus is found in the buffer zone the peacekeepers have to do their job, which is to regulate access to that part of the territory," a U.N. spokesman told Reuters.
Plentiful rains ensured a bumper crop of "aggrelia" this year exacerbating the standoff between soldiers and the army of locals who flock to pick asparagus, which tied in green and red burgundy bunches, sells for up to four euros at local markets.
Asparagus harvesting has never been for the faint-hearted with pickers crawling into dense thorn bushes to pick the delicate shoots from the undergrowth.
(Reporting by Michele Kambas)

Sunday, March 22, 2009

hanging out in Colorado




Friday, March 20, 2009

Just finished reading

Theo Pauline Nestor
How to Sleep Alone in a King-Size Bed

excerpt

A memoir, very well written.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

The tap project

From March 22-28, 2009, restaurants and volunteers across the country will join together to raise awareness about the critical role water plays in a child's survival. With the support of thousands of friends like you, we are confident that we can achieve this goal of reaching zero preventable deaths in our lifetime.
Find a participating restaurant on the map below, and check back soon to learn about special events and activities that are happening in our featured cities.

To find out what's happening in a city near you, use the drop-down menu above on the link below.
Your city info

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

it has arrived....

one pic from the Glass Slipper Ball



Photo's were taken by Kirkland Photography and Design Inc. in Monument. It was a fun evening.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

The prep time for the deployment is going pretty fast.
Today we start combat lifesaver. I took this class many years ago, but I am hoping I will still be able to stick with it. Giving an IV is never my favorite thing. But I appreciate the fact it can literally be a lifesaver.
The weather has been amazing and yesterday I was outside from 9-530. Nice and sunny and blue skies.
The prom dressed has been ordered and should be here any day!

Thursday, March 12, 2009

wow - it is Thursday.
How did that happen?
It has been a very busy week.
My daughter had her wisdom teeth out this afternoon - say a little prayer for her recovery...
What is strange -at her age females tend to cry when they come out of Anesthesia. The doctor warned me that woman are just really emotional. I braced myself, I mean she is already emotional to begin with. whew... She is sleeping now, and I have the alarm set to midnight for her next dose.

Sunday, March 08, 2009

Notes of randomness

The weekend went by pretty quickly. I was able to make the swim class and go to the gym with Chels today.
He got the second upstairs bathroom painted and the tub caulked.
I have been doing some online window shopping.
I am looking fro inexpensive curtains for the sliding glass doors and a new faucet for the kitchen.
We have a few small things to refresh, the bathroom fan and a few vent covers.
Just little things, but in the end I think they will make a more polished look.
We are starting the main bathroom this week. Just new paint and things freshened.
This week should prove to be pretty busy.

I will be interested if the government caves to GM or they go into bankruptcy.

Friday, March 06, 2009

The movie was really inspiring last night and we had about 7 people show from Zonta.
We had a quick bite at The Blue Star after.
It is amazing what a few women can do to make the difference.
This morning I had four shots and I headed to go take a nap.
This week was productive and I am sure next week will be as well.
Hoping for good weather at the range.
I have a list of things for ths weekend, but now I am sleepy.

Wednesday, March 04, 2009

March 5th

International Women's Day 2009 and the Secretary-General's "UNiTE to end violence against women" campaign


Violence against women is always a violation of human rights;
it is always a crime; and it is always unacceptable.”
— United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon

Tuesday, March 03, 2009

GO SEE THE MOVIE MARCH 5th!

A POWERFUL NOISE Live

On Thursday, March 5, 2009, A POWERFUL NOISE Live will appear in 450 movie theatres across the United States. This one-night event will feature the acclaimed documentary followed by a town hall discussion broadcast live from New York City to each theatre.

A POWERFUL NOISE Live begins at 7:30pmET/6:30pmCT
5:30pmMT/8pmPT(taped).

Sunday, March 01, 2009

I had no idea,,,

Three and a half years after Hurricane Katrina, the National Guard is pulling the last of its troops out of New Orleans this weekend.

Thank You Macy's.

Ok one of the Macy's here in town is going out of business.
They are at 60% off. It was time for my daughter and I to make some major underwear purchases.
The Army will providing our ensembles for the next year, we just need to make sure we are prepped in other areas..
So, we broke down and the major purchases. I mean for goodness sake the average temp is 100 over there, I need comfort.
Another box checked!
woo hoo...
Hair, I got a very tight hair cut. Way off my neckline, but the front is still feminine enough to pull it off. I can pull it back under under my helmet or just wear it normally.
BOX checked!

Yesterday, we dropped more off at Goodwill and the recycle trash is sorted and ready to go.

On Friday night we finished the majority of the graduation announcements. We have them sealed and addressed! Just need stamps. yeah.
Today is undecided..