On flickr, there's a meme going around where you tag someone and then that person lists 9 things about him/herself and posts it with a photo. Here's mine:
1. I am a total introvert. In social situations, I am the last person to go up to someone I don't know and start a conversation. Even if I knew someone, unless we were good friends it's a good bet I would wait for them to notice me before saying hello.
2. I love being onstage. I could live my entire life in a theater and be perfectly happy.
3. I hate preppy and love punk. Yet I married a man who was voted "best dressed" in high school and had no tatts or piercings when I met him. (He now has one tatt I bought him for our anniversary.) I also swore I'd never marry a submariner. Guess what? ;) Love does strange things.
4. I can't stand cheerleaders. 'Nuff said.
5. I am hopelessly addicted to coffee, and am extremely particular when it comes to espresso drinks. I especially love white chocolate mochas (not too sweet) with peppermint or coconut.
6. I am a Jelly Belly connoisseur. I have tried nearly every flavor they've made since I was a kid (except for the Harry Potter Bertie Botts ones) and I don't need some little booklet to tell me which flavor is which. ;) My favorites are cream soda, strawberry daquiri, tangerine, and Dr. Pepper. I don't like bubble gum (or the ones with similar flavor), peach, or pear.
7. I am frequently pre-judged by my outward appearance. Apparently, having pink hair and facial piercings automatically makes me an ultra-left wing radical liberal (nothing could be further from the truth). Or just a freak. Either way, when people get to know me, they tell me I'm completely different than what they assumed.
8. I rarely wear matching socks. On purpose. :)
9. I love India. I'd live there in a heartbeat. I love the people (some of the most generous and warm people I've ever met), the clothes (what gorgeous colors and fabrics! And sarees are so beautiful), and the food. Especially naan, masala balls (like Cheetos Cheese balls but spicy instead of cheesy), murgh tari, samosas, black tea with milk and sugar... and ice cream. :)
Since that ruling, over 50 million babies have been aborted.
Most people who claim the "pro-choice" moniker have no idea how the modern abortion movement started. Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood, was a virulent racist and radical feminist who believed in eugenics, and promoted abortion as a way to reduce the "unfit" and "bad strains" of our population. Many in the Planned Parenthood organization are more than willing to continue her legacy. Even the medical community still practices a form of eugenics when they recommend abortion for children with Down's Syndrome.
Why does this barbaric and dangerous practice continue, in a supposedly civilized society, when it is so traumatic and there are so many other options? I believe ignorance and fear are the two biggest reasons. But it doesn't have to be that way.
I had a teen pregnancy, too. But I made the decision to keep my child. It was one of the best decisions I've ever made, and I couldn't imagine my life without him. He's 10 years old now, and is such a blessing.
I will continue to stand up for the rights of the unborn, and to educate people about the truth as long as abortion is an accepted and tolerated practice. They have the right to liberty and the pursuit of happiness, too. But it means nothing if they don't first get their right to life.
Ok, wow - seriously, I am so bad at this. I just don't have time to sit and write long things; I barely have time to write a few paragraphs on a photo on flickr. But there were a few things I just had to blog about. So here goes. :)
First of all, I didn't realize that I hadn't updated on my husband's military status. I thought I'd blogged about the latest happenings, and when I visited my blog this morning found out that I hadn't. Oops. :)
(text below copied/pasted from what I wrote under the photo on flickr)
His Next-To-Last Day as a Sailor
Yep, you read that right. We couldn't believe it either. He arrived home Sunday, April 20, still without a discharge date (that we knew of). Closest we knew was either July 30 (his LES still had that as his ETS date) or May 31 (for some reason, that was the date given on his flight-home orders). He was told before leaving the ship that he was to start TAP (Transition Assistance Program - something every Sailor goes through before discharge to give him information and help transitioning to civilian life) class that Monday. I was upset and confused - they recommended (stressed strenuously) that spouses should go with their Sailor because so much information is presented, and the spouse might have questions, so we were planning on attending one sometime in the middle of this month (May). But they just dropped him in one the day after he got back, and we had no clue why. But he had no choice, so he went without me. It was only four days long, so Friday he reported to the Yeoman Chief on base for his TAD assignment. But there he was told he wasn't reporting to supply, but to TPU (Transient Personnel Unit) which is supposed to basically be for people just arriving to (like from boot camp) or departing (as in, the process of being discharged from) their duty station. The chief thought somehow there must have been a screw-up, but we'd figure it all out the next Monday.
Well, it got all figured out. Heh. He was told Monday that his check-out (as in, completely checking out of the Navy) was Tuesday. Thanks for a little warning, huh?!? :)
So... next day, after running to UPS store to get his medical and dental records copied (he doesn't get to keep the originals - they're shipped off to a vault somewhere), we drive on base for the last time; get the proper forms to get copies of the kids' and my records, drop him at PSD for his check out... and a few minutes later he walks out sans ID card... the newest former Nuke EM/Missile Tech/Storekeeper US Navy Sailor.
So um... what are we doing now? Well, thanks to our tax return and the half-separation pay we received, we have money to live on until he finds a job. Though we are now paying the (astronomically high) civilian rent rate - given that it's privatized-Military housing, they obviously want to get our place opened up asap, so rent is stinking ridiculous and they're seriously pressuring us to get a notice-to-vacate turned in. However, the fact we still don't have a place to move to, nor a job to go to, hinders that for us a *little*. Thankfully, as I said, we have enough to live on for a while, and we have up to 6 mos. to use the last Navy/FISC move we get (God forbid we have to be here that long) - though we don't have any medical/dental coverage right now, of course. We're praying and trusting God (and Greg is doing all kinds of job searches, looking high and low, online and off) for a house and a job - and in the meantime we're trying to pack up what we can and then when the time comes, we'll just have the movers come and pack out the rest and move us to our "final" destination.
I was going to list his training/experience/qualifications here, but if anyone's interested to know, they can flickrmail/email me and I'll get my husband in touch to discuss specifics. I will say he's looking in the electronics technician field, the security field, and the mission field. :) Yes, we both feel called to be missionaries, and have a heart for young people especially - they are the future after all, and they are the special target of those who would corrupt our society and lead it into eventual destruction. (Speaking of... I just finished reading "The Marketing of Evil" by David Kupelian, and what an eye-opening book it is. If you ever wanted to get at the heart of the matter, and see things from "behind enemy lines" I highly and heartily recommend this book.) I've always felt called to Africa, though I loved India when I was there - but right now we both feel a great urgency for our own nation - the USA. But I'll talk more about that later on.
Anyway, so that's what's new with us. Things here have just been too busy for me to be on flickr - last Sunday was our 6th anniversary so we went up to our favorite local getaway (well, local to where we used to live), Morgan Hill Retreat in Poulsbo, while my mom watched the kids - and just had time to ourselves. Talking, praying, seeking God's will for our future, and enjoying each others' company (and enjoying my anniversary present/investment for the photog business - I'll talk about that later. :) Most of the time here at home Greg spends looking for a job, trying to find a house, and trying to get ready to move when he finds them. :) I do hope to catch up a bit on my flickring, but I won't be up to speed for a while, I'm sure. Hopefully everything falls into place quickly! In the meantime, I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying some spring weather!
My 2yo is putting her dolls and multiple stuffed animals on my lap. See, I just don't ever get more than about a minute to sit down and do anything. ;) Which is why I have a Twitter account. My updates are protected, first of all for privacy reasons, and second-of-all because I got sick of spammers and weirdo/pervos following me. Yeah... But if you're not a spammer or weirdo or just collecting names on your following list, just request and I'll probably accept/follow you. I've found some really cool ppl on Twitter, and I love that I can just check in really quick and see what everyone's up to, and jot down what I'm doing at the mo. or add a link to something I found online that I want to share.
Speaking of, you have to watch/listen to these next couple videos. I don't necessarily agree with everything the Health Ranger (Mike Adams of NaturalNews.com) has to say - he's into some New Age stuff and seems a bit caught up in the "man-created global warming crisis" thing - but other than that, this guy is awesome. I read Natural News pretty religiously, and get the email updates and everything. I am so thankful that websites like this are out there - if only more people read them! Anyway, he's now made two hip-hop songs which he's licensed for non-commercial use. I'll post the videos below (please watch! :) and the links to the pages he's posted more info on (he also has links where you can download the songs and ringtones.)
It's humorous, but in a sad way. Sad, because he speaks the truth. Thankfully he does it in a way that will hopefully get some people's attention, and maybe spread the word. ;)
This one, while still being entertaining (in the sense that it has a great beat, and he is a surpisingly good rap artist) is much heavier. This time the truth isn't about our economy, but our very lives and those of our children. I wish more parents were wise to the facts. :( Please visit Natural News and read up on how to keep healthy in these chemically-saturated times.
On that note, have you done any reading on chemtrails? Sometimes called chaff (depending on their contents) they are part of an aerosol assault on our air and environment. Anyone who knows me knows I'm not an environmentalist in the usual sense of the word, but what is happening right above our heads is a travesty and people need to wake up and start looking up. We no longer have the clear blue skies and fluffy clouds I remember from my childhood. Unfortunately, most people are so absorbed in their personal electronic devices that they rarely look each other in the eye, much less pay attention to what's happening over their heads. Check out my Watch the Skies set for photos and more information (plus links to other websites that I highly recommend keeping tabs on).
Ok, well my 2yo needs some diaper attention, so I'd better end this for now. I'll be writing again soon - I hope. ;)
Pro-Lifer, Constitutionalist, Homeschooling mom of 5, wife, photographer. Eventually getting back into the field of professional wedding photography - when my life allows.
