Earth

I'm going to cheat and re-post my Earth Day post from last year.  Since I didn't have that many readers this time last year, it should be new material for a lot of you. I hope everyone has a great day spending time outside and appreciating this beautiful world in which we live!

Virginia, the state, is a lot of wonderful things, but for a long time we were not what you'd call "Green." I was rarely concerned with keeping the planet beautiful and safe because it just wasn't an issue that came up a lot. For me this changed when I met my freshman roommate, a Oregonian who was often appalled by my tendency to throw things away rather than recycle them.

She set an excellent example for me, showing just how easy it was to do small things that would help in the long run. I'm still not what you'd call an avid environmentalist, but I do try to do my part. At one of my jobs I created a recycling program that they still use, and the first day it started we had over 1000 lbs of paper, that would have been thrown away, going to be recycled.

Last year I bought a book called Gorgeously Green and I really recommend to anyone who wants to try and live a "greener" lifestyle without sacrificing too much of life's comforts. Realistically speaking/writing, there are some things that I will never be able to do, like equip my house with solar panels (unless I win the lottery), but I can change all of my light bulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs, which I have done. They use 2/3 as much energy and last 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs.

Here are some other easy ways that can help start you on living your life in an Earth conscious manner.

• Bringing reusable grocery bags with you to the store so you don't need the paper or plastic bags they give you. I have some really cute ones that I got as a present, and they were only $6 and they're adorable! But most stores have them for sale for $.99
  
• Stop receiving junk mail by registering with Green Dimes.
• Cut down on water use by: replacing shower heads with water saving models. I have one and the water pressure feels the same, I wouldn't know it was saving water if I hadn't bought it myself. Water your lawn in the morning or evening to cut down on water lost to evaporation. When it's time to replace your washing machine, consider buying one that's Energy Efficient. They're a little more expensive, but you get a tax deduction AND you'll save money in the long run.
• Keep your thermostat set to 68 degrees in the winter. In the summer, keep your curtains and blinds shut to keep out some of the hot sunlight.
• Carpool to work if you can and roll down the windows instead of using the AC.
  
• Have your home heating and cooling system serviced every year. They often find leaks that would end up costing a fortune if gone unnoticed.
• Calculate your carbon footprint and see which areas you could improve in.
• Buy local produce and try to eat organic meat
• Eco-Friendly cleaning products: Mix lemon juice and baking soda for an all-purpose cleaner and use Borax to clean your shower. The Borax works amazingly well!
  

Some more extreme ones that I don't do, but wouldn't be all that difficult are:

• Reuse bath water on your plants
• Follow the old adage "If it's brown flush it down, if it's yellow let it mellow." (Can't do this with small children who find toilet water fascinating!)
• Buy a hybrid car or one that's fuel efficient (I do plan on doing this with my next car)
  
• Cloth Diapers
• Lower your water heater to 120 degree

Obviously you don't have to do all of these things, but if you just pick a few, you'll be making a significant difference. I hope everyone is having a great Earth Day and is enjoying all that Mother Nature has to offer!

Charity

I've been meaning to do a post about my favorite charities for a long time now, so I was excited when I saw that it was this week's topic for Show Us Your Life at Kelly's Korner.  I've been thinking about charity and "giving back" a lot recently.

Ever since I was a little girl I've always been very aware that there were people (and animals) who needed our help.  My first experience with a charity came at the young age of four.  While my mom was talking on the phone I started watching a documentary about sea otters and before I knew it, they were showing the cute little creatures being clubbed to death and all sorts of other things.  I cried and cried and when I saw the number to help save them flashing across the screen, I tried to call them. My mom put an end to that and I was SO mad at her!  I still remember how sad I was and how helpless I felt.  A year later, after watching one of those Save the Children commercials, I called the number to sponsor a child.  When the operator asked how old I was, I responded "five years old."  I was not successful in my attempt. (Or my second try a week later!)

Basically, that lengthy exposition was meant to explain that giving to charities has always been something very important me.  And while I was always trying to give away my parents money when I was younger, it wasn't until I got to college that I became an active donor to the causes near and dear to me.  I minored in African Studies and I was really convicted to start giving in any way I could.  As luck would have it, I became a Kappa Kappa Gamma my sophomore year and our philanthropy was UNICEF.  We did all kinds of things to raise money and I loved knowing that our donations were being put to such good use. I also got the benefit of learning the best ways to help,  how to watch for unscrupulous and wasteful spending of money, and just how great of a need for our help that there was.

I am an avid supporter of UNICEF.   Their mission is to save lives by "ensuring that all children have access to basic education and by focusing on children marginalized by poverty, HIV/AIDS, conflict and discrimination." They do this by providing families with clean water and sanitation, vaccination against childhood illness, and protecting children against malaria.  UNICEF fights starvation by providing nutritional food rather than just food to fill their stomachs, protecting children from abuse and giving them an education.  They're not only concerned about today, but also the future of these of these kids- the ultimate goal is break the self-perpetuating cycle of poverty; and I think that's pretty great!  Charity Navigator gives them a 4-Star ranking, which they've had for the last five years.  They spend just a little less than 10% on administration costs and over 90% of their donations are used directly in their life-saving programs.

My heart is on my sleeve where my Africa is concerned and I'm always interested in helping in any way that I can.  So when I began reading about a group of bloggers going to Kenya on behalf of Compassion International, I was intrigued.  As I read some of their posts and stared at their pictures, I could feel myself wanting to sponsor a child so badly.  Then I saw it was going to cost $38 a month and there was no way I could afford that.  I kept going back to the same blog This Is Reverb, and I couldn't get his words or images out of my head.  My inner voice was telling me that this was something I needed to do, something I had to do.  So where was this extra $38 a month going to come from?

I was trying to think of ways I could make the extra money and I hadn't come  up with anything promising.  While I was going through my email, my BlogHer weekly newsletter popped up into my inbox.  And that's when I had my "Ah, Ha" moment.

Up until yesterday there was only one BlogHer ad on here.  Awhile ago I had thought about adding a second one, but I realized I'd have to have to have three ads and I didn't want three adds, so I stuck with my one.  But more ads means more revenue and that's what I was looking for.  I did some quick calculations about how much more revenue my traffic would generate if I ran a few more ads and I found out that if I added those two, I would be able to afford sponsoring a child.  So that's what I did!  I set it up so that all revenue from my new ads will go directly into my Compassion account.  I am now the proud sponsor of a little girl named Ega!  She's from Kenya, is five years old, and lives in an area devastated by HIV/AIDS.  She'd been on the waiting list for more than 6 months, which is a very long time, and was deemed "high priority."  I knew she was the one I was meant to sponsor.

Since this is my first time doing anything with Compassion, I don't think it's right for me to say "go sponsor one of their children!"  But I do think you should have a look at the blog I mentioned earlier so you can really get the right perspective.  But I did some research and Charity Navigator awarded it with four stars and only 8% of their donations are used on administrative costs.

I think one of the reasons I most excited about this is because it's something Spencer and I can eventually do together.  I want her to understand the importance of helping others who are less fortunate. I think this is a really great way for her to get involved and when she's a little older she'll be able to write and email  Ega!

Another great charity that I support is Bead for Life.  Spencer's MiMi told me about it and she gave me two of their beautiful bracelets. Ugandan women turn colorful recycled paper into beautiful beads, The beaders and tailors are primarily impoverished women who want to make a better life for themselves.  They make gorgeous handcrafted paper beads from recycled paper and turn them into necklaces, bracelets, and earrings.  Because the beaders use recycled, colorful paper, the beads help prevent environmental degradation.  "What was trash becomes beauty, money, food, and hope."  You can help by having a "Bead Party" or shopping at their store. They'll even ship you everything you need to host a party at no cost to you- it's free.  And they make such beautiful jewelry!

These bracelets are only $5 a piece. 

"To whom much is given, much is expected" and Spencer and I have been given so much.  If I can leave this world a better place than when I entered it, I will hopefully have held up my end of that bargain. 

More Show You How Live Posts

My Ministry

Project Runway

I Resolve

Other Charities That I Support

The Alzheimer's Association 
Fight SMA & The Gwendolyn Strong Foundation

Small Miracles

She is a small miracle, Miss Adelaide Joy. It baffles, yet amazes me that this beautiful little girl is an actual baby and not a perfect tiny doll- she's a breathing, eating, sleeping, bathroom using, in need of all your prayers- little baby girl.





I got an update from her Dad this evening and I wanted to share it with everyone, so that it might become more real to you, so that you can see Adelaide's lovely little face when you're praying for her. To start off with- some great news- Addie was able to digest her first meal today. This is a huge victory and amazing progress!

Tomorrow, she will be receiving a PICC line. It's an IV catheter that will run up her arm, through her shoulder, and stop at the top of her heart. It will deliver the necessary fluids, nutrients and medicines, while decreasing the number of times they have to poke her delicate skin and blood vessels. Preemies have very small, almost wispy veins, so the PICC line will reduce the risk of introducing any infections into her fragile system.

A perfect little girl, just a bit too small.

_

These are her proud parents, Luke and Katie, who need almost as many prayers as their precious little girl. I can't imagine how heart wrenching this must be for them; I don't think Webster has defined the words that would adequately describe what a parent feels when faced with a situation like this. They're leaning heavily on their strong faith in the Lord, knowing He will see them through, but they're also afraid and so thankful for everyone who is praying for their daughter.
Please pray that Addie will continue making positive progress, for her to fight any infections that might cause further delay or regression, that everything will go smoothly with the PICC line, and for a spot to become available for them in the Quantum House- so they can be closer to their baby. Thank you so much for reading these Addie updates, not only is she Spencer's cousin, but she's also a daughter - she's her mother's daughter. I think every mom, and probably most women in general, understand the primal instinct we all have to protect the young, even when they're not our own.

Eunice Kennedy Shriver, an Ideal Legacy

At the end of my Junior year at W&M I was a complete emotional wreck- I was a hot mess, to be sure. On April 22 my whole world turned upside down and that afternoon is, unfortunately, a day I can never forget. My boyfriend since the 7th grade said to me "I want a girlfriend and in case you can't tell, it's not you." I hung up a sobbing mess only to see two of my friends burst through my door crying. They assumed I was crying for the same reason, saying they just couldn't believe he might be gone. Well I knew they couldn't have been talking about my ex because a) they hated him and b) we had just broken up 2 seconds before.

That's when they told me our friend was en route to the hospital, unconscious and unresponsive. He was a senior and had been the Orientation Adviser to our freshman hall. After that first week was over he stuck around and quickly became our friend. It was less than a month before he would've graduated and he was giving his last W&M tour for potential new students and their families. In the middle of campus there's the Crim Dell, which is a pond that has a famous bridge over it. One of things you're supposed to do before you graduate is jump in it, a rite of passage if you will.

At the conclusion of the tour he jumped in. Only he didn't jump, he did a back flip in and hit his head on a submerged piece of debris; his spinal cord was severed and by the time the students who jumped in found him, he couldn't be resuscitated. We didn't have all that information at the time, so we all piled into my car and headed to the hospital. It's a moment I'll never forget; we were walking from the parking lot just as another friend was coming out of the ER door. She saw us and shook her head, tears streaming down her face. We all stood there looking at each other for what seemed like an eternity.

The rest of the day I only remember in hazy snippets and when I think about that time, it's like an elephant is standing on my chest and I can't breathe. I've never been very good at dealing with things when they happen, I'm more of the suppress-it-until-you-can-cope type. I had an interview two days later for a summer job and I sunk myself into preparing for it. When I got the job it seemed like a life saver to me, something I could fully immerse myself in that would allow me to forget about my broken spirit.

I worked as a legal intern for the Virginia Department of Education, specifically in the special ed. division. It was heaven and hell all rolled into a ball. On the one hand, it gave me a purpose when I really needed one, but it also left me profoundly depressed every day when I left. The kids and their stories all clung to me and I couldn't get enough professional distance from them. Every child broke my heart and I was disgusted to realize how many political games were played in special ed. 

Some parents fought tooth and nail for their children while others just shipped them off to the "best" facilities they could afford. School boards were vicious in trying to protect themselves, both fiscally and legally. It was a game played out by lawyers and school boards, and the loser was almost always the child. While I was there I wrote a help manual for parents, a guide to show them the ins and outs of special ed. law and policy, because so many times they were just legally out-maneuvered when they actually had a legitimate complaint/dispute.

There were so many gray areas though, sometimes parents did try and take advantage of the system and sometimes school boards/special ed. directors were looking out for the child's best interest when their parent wasn't. The real heroes are the people who dedicate their lives to helping these children with special needs. It's a thankless, underfunded job that will break your heart over and over again.
Because I was so emotionally raw at the time, everything and everyone became personal. Most people who work in special ed. become jaded over time because they have to, it's a matter of emotional and psychological preservation. When I went back to school at the end of the summer I was a different person. I'd seen the damage of jaded and I became an idealist. Never before had I felt so out of control of my life as did during those months and I hated it. HATED IT.

Generally, when someone feels out of control in their life, they either try to frantically reclaim it or surrender and give up. Very few people are able to rise above and create something positive from it. The Special Olympics is an example of something amazing born from the loss of such control. Eunice Kennnedy Shriver created the SO after her sister, Rosemary Kennedy, was rendered mentally incapacitated after a botched lobotomy. After witnessing the horrors of what happened to her sister, she dedicated herself to becoming a champion for those with special needs. There was no longer anything she could do to for her sister but there were millions of others that she could help; and she did.

I'm always amazed at people who display such inner strength and fortitude. Working in special ed. opened my eyes to the harsh realities of the real world. My problems no longer seemed as earth shattering and I realized that becoming jaded is one of the worst things that can happen to a person. It dulls your passion and then makes you complacent- tricking yourself into believing that you're satisfied with the status quo because you believe there's nothing you can do to change it.

During one of the lowest times of my life (but not the lowest) when my defenses were down, I let hundreds of kids into my heart. And it hurt, it does even now. But it made me realize that idealism isn't naive, it's hope- the hope for something better. When I read that Eunice Kennedy Shriver died this morning, it brought back all of my memories from those days. And while death is always sad, she leaves behind a beautiful legacy. From her sister's tragedy she created something enduring and positive in her memory. She was the kind of person you want your kids to say to you "I want to be like Eunice Kennedy Shriver when I grow up." Sometimes her story gets lost in the Kennedy family saga, and that's such a shame, because she certainly was one of the heroes.

Baby Stellan Needs Your Prayers NOW

It's not looking very good for Baby Stellan, he's in critical condition and is currently being airlifted from Minneapolis to Children's Hospital Boston. MckMama twittered that it might already be too late for this, his heart has just given out. He needs a miracle.

A Helping Hand

So sad, please please pray for this sweet baby girl and her parents. Just click the button to go to their site.

Planet Earth

Virginia, the state, is a lot of wonderful things, but for a long time we were not what you'd call "Green." I was rarely concerned with keeping the planet beautiful and safe because it just wasn't an issue that came up a lot. For me this changed when I met my freshman roommate, a Oregonian who was often appalled by my tendency to throw things away rather than recycle them.


She set an excellent example for me, showing just how easy it was to do small things that would help in the long run. I'm still not what you'd call an avid environmentalist, but I do try to do my part. At one of my jobs I created a recycling program that they still use, and the first day it started we had over 1000lbs of paper, that would have been thrown away, going to be recycled.

Last year I bought a book called Gorgeously Green and I really recommend to anyone who wants to try and live a "greener" lifestyle without sacrificing too much of life's comforts. Realistically speaking/writing, there are some things that I will never be able to do, like equip my house with solar panels (unless I win the lottery), but I can change all of my light bulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs, which I have done. They use 2/3 as much energy and last 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs.


Here are some other easy ways that can help start you on living your life in an Earth conscious manner.

• Bringing reusable grocery bags with you to the store so you don't need the paper or plastic bags they give you. I have some really cute ones that I got as a present, and they were only $6 and they're adorable! But most stores have them for sale for $.99
  
• Stop receiving junk mail by registering with Green Dimes.
• Cut down on water use by: replacing shower heads with water saving models. I have one and the water pressure feels the same, I wouldn't know it was saving water if I hadn't bought it myself. Water your lawn in the morning or evening to cut down on water lost to evaporation. When it's time to replace your washing machine, consider buying one that's Energy Efficient. They're a little more expensive, but you get a tax deduction AND you'll save money in the long run.
• Keep your thermostat set to 68 degrees in the winter. In the summer, keep your curtains and blinds shut to keep out some of the hot sunlight.
• Carpool to work if you can and roll down the windows instead of using the AC.
  
• Have your home heating and cooling system serviced every year. They often find leaks that would end up costing a fortune if gone unnoticed.
• Calculate your carbon footprint and see which areas you could improve in.
• Buy local produce and try to eat organic meat
• Eco-Friendly cleaning products: Mix lemon juice and baking soda for an all-purpose cleaner and use Borax to clean your shower. The Borax works amazingly well!
  

Some more extreme ones that I don't do, but wouldn't be all that difficult are:

• Reuse bath water on your plants
• Follow the old adage "If it's brown flush it down, if it's yellow let it mellow." (Can't do this with small children who find toilet water fascinating!)
• Buy a hybrid car or one that's fuel efficient (I do plan on doing this with my next car)
  
• Cloth Diapers
• Lower your water heater to 120 degrees

Obviously you don't have to do all of these things, but if you just pick a few, you'll be making a significant difference. I hope everyone is having a great Earth Day and is enjoying all that Mother Nature has to offer!

A Helping Hand

Please pray for Emily and her family she is a toddler with a brain tumor who is going to be an angel soon. Her family has opted not to prolong treatment since there's no hope. They're spending these last few days together, trying to cherish each moment.

A Helping Hand

The Tipping Family
- They were pregnant with quads and they lost all four. She had already delivered two who had passed away, but there were high hopes for the others. Unfortunately, it was not to be, and they lost all their babies.

The Simmons Family - They have a two year old boy who was born with only half of a heart. They are currently waiting and praying for an available heart so that he can have a transplant.


The Wagner Family - Their first child, Elise, was born at 26 weeks. She is now a week old and is need of all the prayers she can get.

An Open Letter to the Facebook Community

Why, Facebook, do you insist upon changing my homepage? I'm not sure why "no change" isn't an option. Must you insert your will upon the masses without so much as an "Opt Out" vote?

I'm not one of those crazy anti-fans who joins the I Hate the New Facebook groups. I'm not even someone who put angry messages in my status box. But I am not a fan of change, never have been. I find it uncomfortable.

Yes, I recognize that some changes are for my own good, and that in time I will no longer miss the old. And when I think about it, the old Facebook homepage is but a distant memory. But from now on, I would appreciate being able to keep the status quo. Is that too much to ask?

Sincerely,

A Mildly Annoyed Facebooker

Sister Suffragette

The title of this post doesn't really have anything to do with my topic du jour- except that it's a tad political and I always thought if I'd been alive during the women's voting movement, I would have been, a fellow Sister Suffragette! Just say it to yourself "Sister Suffragette."


It just rolls off the tongue, doesn't it?

Before I start my mini-rant (don't ya'll just love how all my rants are "mini"?) I just want to clarify that it's not a partisan rant. Okay, so every morning as I'm watching the news, reading cnn.com, doing anything that involves listening to current events, I get more and more outraged at these bailouts.


Now don't get me wrong, I'm not anti-bailout, not at all. However, I am anti the bailouts that we (insert whoever chooses the bailoutees) have chosen to "save." In my opinion, the companies and industries that should be bailed out, are those that have the greatest chance of survival after this recession/depression is behind us.


Circuit City for example!


I realize that I'm partial to CC because I'm from Richmond and that's where they were founded, but they employ over 40,000 people across the country. I have no doubt that when the economy is back on it's feet that Circuit City would have had no problem in returning to making a profit. I think it's a shame that so many stores and companies are going under, while the government continues to bail out AIG, and the auto industry.

I don't want to say anything too inflammatory, because I don't really understand all the nuances to these economic questions and solutions. However, I really believe that the auto industry is going to have problems even when the economy has recovered. Their problems, yes- they've been exacerbated by this crisis, but they've been present ever since NAFTA was signed and they're going to be there after the recovery.

And I'm not saying we (insert whoever chooses the bailoutees) shouldn't have rescued the automotive companies, I'm just using it as an example to make my overall point: we (insert whoever chooses the bailoutees) need to be bailing out companies that have a viable chance of returning a profit once we're out of this recession. And I think that getting out of this financial fustercluck is going to be much more difficult with so many service providing companies and industries no longer there to provide, well, their "service."

I hope I didn't offend anyone, because that wasn't my point, I just wanted to vent a little and think of a world run by me! haha.

A Helping Hand Update

The Williams Family - They lost their son last year at 37 weeks -she just gave birth to another little son yesterday, Jonah, and it looks like he as a rare genetic skin condition. It causes his skin to slough off and he has lesions on his little body. He is being treated as they would treat a burn patient. It's a really, really heartbreaking story.

A Helping Hand

The Green Family - Lauren Green - Lauren and her husband Josh lost their quads this week. She went into labor at 22 weeks and there was nothing they could do. After being released from the hospital, she had one night at home before spiking a fever and was admitted back into the hospital. She's still there, sick and devastated.

Lisa at Clusterfook is about to die from ovarian cancer. She has candidly blogged about her experience as a dying mother leaving behind two young girls and husband. Her blog was just updated and she is in her last days - she is in severe pain, in and out of consciousness, and no longer recognizes her family. I can't imagine what those girls are going through, but they need our prayers!

Cody Johnson and family- I know they were on here last week, but things have gotten worse. The family took a last vacation to the beach, but they're having to return early because Cody is not doing well. He is in constant pain and has lost his zest for life -they are thinking that the end is very near.

Gwendolyn Strong and family - Baby Gwendolyn suffers from SMA, a degenerative and lethal disease, that is the number one genetic killer of all babies under the age of two. Her parents only hope is for a cure- which is right around the corner! The NIH has said that out of all the diseases - that is the one they are the closest to curing! There is currently a petition to move landmark legislation through Congress that will allocate federal resources to non-profit and research organizations focused on finding a treatment and/or cure for SMA. They need 100,000 votes and they're over half way there. I added a button in my sidebar to the petition or you can go HERE Please check out her website and sign the petition- it's not often that you have a chance to do more than pray but here it is- it just takes a minute to sign!

A Helping Hand

Every day I read something on someone's blog that makes me want to cry. I get sucked into their stories and as I read about them, I want more than anything to be able to help in some way.


Since I'm not a millionaire, or a hundred thousand-aire, or a ten thousand-aire, (get the picture) and I don't have any connections with clout, I realize that there isn't much that I can do. So I've decided that each week I'm going to post links to these blogs and help spread the word and their stories. Little prayers from around the globe can go a long way and you never know who might be reading!


This week, these are the families that are need of some help, earthly and spiritually:



The Karg Family - Pregnant with twins, one died in utero and the other little girl is back in the hospital, fighting for her life.



The Freeman Family
- Little girl born 3 months premature, now 8 months old, only 6lbs 4ozs., and still has never come from the hospital.

The McClenahan Family - Their baby daughter, Cora, died this month. She went to the doctor for an ear ache and was diagnosed with cancer- 4 weeks later she unexpectedly died. They are building a playgound at their church in her memory.


The Johnson Family - Their little boy, Cody, was just given weeks to live after a very long struggle, and fight, against cancer.


Each time I read these families' blogs, I almost always end up in tears- yet, I am compelled to keep reading. Their stories remind me to be thankful each day for the gift of my healthy, beautiful daughter.


Every week I will post about new families that are need of help, but feel free to let me know about others that I'm missing or if there is someone that you'd like me to write about.

Say a Little Prayer for You

While I am still a bit "faith challenged" these days, I have always believed in the power of prayer. I don't know if it's Jesus listening to these prayers or just some kind of Karmic cycle, but when life gets tough, I still pray.

Even if you don't don't believe in a higher power, or if you do, please pray or take moment to send some good vibes to Baby Harper and Baby Brayden. These little, precious newborns need all the help they can get.

Both babies were supposed to be healthy, as there were no indicators prior to their birth that there were problems. They are each clinging to life, fighting to breathe with lungs that just aren't up to snuff. I can't even imagine the pain that their mothers are going through. Each time I think about it I just go and hug Spencer. She was a month early and so much could have gone wrong, but it didn't. I don't know how I could have gone on if something had happened to her.

So if you have a moment, please check out their blogs and PRAY for both moms and their babies!

A Mini Rant- Ann Coulter on The View on Single Mothers

There was a time when I owned an Ann Coulter book, I'm sorry and slightly embarrassed to admit that, but I did. When I found out she was going to be on The View I was intrigued, I thought she would have to be insane to go on that show, but here she is, in all her vitriolic glory. Immediately, she was spouting off about single mothers, saying their children are a "farm team for future criminals and social outcasts."

I know I'm sensitive where this topic is concerned, as I'm a single mother, but I really felt she was just trying to say outrageous things just to get a rise of the hosts and the audience. She went on to say how they're maladjusted, sympathetic to their fathers, and that children of divorce are just future strippers.

I felt my vision getting a little blurry at this point, the rage was building up. First, at The View, for allowing such a horrible woman to pontificate about her hateful ideas, and second, at me, for watching. I couldn't help it, I sat there for the entire 8 minutes she was on. At least she got rail-roaded by them, but it really bothers me that she actually believes my daughter would be better off with her father, as men are more likely to marry than single mothers- giving her a two parent home. That's just INSANE.

Her whole argument is essentially that single women and their offspring are the cause of the majority of society's ills. I won't argue that it's difficult to be a single mother or that more challenges arise because of it, but I certainly don't blame any group for pandemic social problems. To me, the most important thing is how you are raised.

Just because I'm not married to her father doesn't mean I don't believe in marriage- quite the opposite in fact. And if and when I get married, Spencer will know it's for all the right reasons.

PETA and George

This is why I don't eat lobster.

Stand Up to Cancer

On Friday night all three major television networks aired the Stand Up to Cancer telethon to raise money for cancer research. It was heartbreaking and sad while also uplifting to see how the human spirit can triumph over devastating loss. I urge all of you to read up about SUTC organization, and if you feel moved to, DONATE. Even $5 dollars can help.

 

Stand Up to Cancer

DONATE TO STAND UP TO CANCER