Gosh, I love America!

Our American soldiers are sacrificing their lives in foreign lands; a dictator is threatening to wipe America off the map; job losses are so great in the U.S. that the unemployment rate is almost to double digits; and all anyone seems to be concerned with is the deaths of pop stars and celebrities. I am not being critical-it is an observation. I have listened to Michael Jackson songs all week as well, I have been saddened that Ed McMahon died broke and humiliated after having a wonderful career and prosperous life. I was heartbroken to watch the gorgeous, vibrant Farrah Fawcett suffer the devastating effects of anal cancer and radiation and chemotherapy, only to finally succumb to the disease. And now Billy Mays has suddenly died. Until about six months ago, I didn't know his name--just his face and voice as that annoying infommerical guy! So loud and brash! Then I heard my teenaged son and my husband discussing Billy Mays one day as if they were fans, and I finally realized who they were talking about. I have to admit--he did make me want to try OxiClean, and I did. (Kaboom! and I have almost bought "Mighty Putty." Should I buy it now as a way to honor his memory?) I believe our household has tried many of the products he pitched.

What a great country we live in! William Mays started as a hired gun on the state fair circuit, demonstrating mops as well as selling products on the Atlantic City Boardwalk. Then it was the Home Shopping Network, and soon Billy Mays became a household name. His maximum-volume voice and animated ways caught the attention of viewers everywhere. While his style initially landed him as the king of "schtick" and as the butt of jokes--product sales were sky-rocketing and the TV Pitchman started garnering a newfound respect. He had just founded his own production company and there was even a new reality show "Pitchmen" that he appeared on. Wow--only in America! This is the free enterprise and the freedom to succeed that I hope our government will protect. The observation that the media and Americans everywhere seem to be fixated on the recent deaths of celebrities, while there are many more issues and current events that actually do affect our everyday lives, may shed some light on the times we live in. We need something to divert the attention away from the real problems and challenges in our lives and in our country. We feel out of control as individuals watching the stock market, the deficit, the President. Life as we have known it, and the principles we have based our beliefs on, are changing before our eyes.

I hope these four celebrity deaths in such a short time frame give us more than a diversion, more than water-cooler chatter. Life can end at any moment--before you are ready. There are so many things we want to accomplish--so many dreams--so much to do. You literally may not have a chance to pick up your kids at their friend's house today. Are you ready for that possibility? How do we live with hope if we are not prepared to die with Christ? I have no idea what the spiritual lives were of the celebrities that left this world this week were---I've only heard speculation from the media. I don't think another person can judge where a person's heart is-- we can only prepare our own hearts. I'm sad that Billy Mays was realizing his wildest dreams only to suddenly die and leave those he loved behind--but I hope his death will prompt others to ask themselves "Am I ready? What if I die tonight? Christ, will you receive me?"

Political Suicide? Who Cares?

I just watched South Carolina's Governor give a news conference on his whereabouts for the last five days....he told the world the ugly truth. I watched a political pundit afterwards criticizing him for "going too far; " "giving too many details"...making it hard for hard for his own political survival. I think it was evident the Governor is not thinking about his political survival, for once. He faced the media with transparency, for once, thinking of how his actions affected others. (Contrast this with the way John Edwards tried to keep his presidential campaign going regardless of the pain of others)

I am disappointed, as everyone is, over his failings--another leader many believed in with weak flesh....His former aide said he was "shocked--this is the last person in the world I thought would do this". It seems like I think the same thing nearly every time something like this happens. Flesh is weak!! Just ask Mark Sanford! Why would he disappear and not be with his four boys on Father's Day? What made him think, as Governor of a state, that he could slip out of the country without telling anyone? What if there had been a disaster in the state? Who was in charge?

Does he not remember Governor Kirk Fordice? (the former two-term Governor of Mississippi and family friend who told his State trooper escorts to "take a couple of days off", then dashed to Memphis to see his girlfriend, only to have a near-fatal crash on the way back.) Governor Fordice threw it all away--divorced his wife, alienated his children, tarnished his reputation. Those years were sad for all who knew the family. His judgement became very clouded during that time. His final years thankfully were spent with his children and ex-wife rallying around him as he battled cancer.

I'm not sure it was a great thing for Governor Sanford's young kids for him to be so candid to the world. I pray that people and the media will have the decency not to make things even harder for them. But I do think it is refreshing for him to stand up and tell the truth--facing personal and professional ruin--but still laying it all out and saying "I'm sorry." I saw a broken man who had come to terms with God that he had fallen into sin . Everyone is talking about how this is another hit for the Republican party--well, they are right, but there will be plenty more. There will also continue to be Democrats who keep letting their party down. I don't think it is right to either glorify our leaders, although it's the natural thing to do-- (that will surely lead to their fall) or to crucify them when they do let us down. Pray for them--and find a replacement. I do think he should resign as Governor--not necessarily for personal misbehavior , but for losing his head in such a major way that he would mislead his staff, his state and the nation and not follow the law by putting someone else in charge of the state.

By resigning the Governor will also have time to literally, put his house in order.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/ap_on_re_us/us_sc_governor_where

"Little Miss Sunshine"

I just watched "Little Miss Sunshine" for the second time. I never saw it at the theater, but rented it a couple of years ago. What is it about this dark, sardonic, yet funny movie?

It could be the beat up VW Van that the Hoovers travel in--you know, the one they have to push to get it going, then run and jump in through the side door? The one with the broken horn that continuously honks?

It might be the Nietzsche-reading teenaged boy who has taken a "Vow of Silence" for the better part of a year-- who wears a "Jesus was Wrong" t-shirt.

Or the nasty-mouthed grandfather who spends his time choreographing his 7-year old granddaughter's talent routine for the "Little Miss Sunshine" pageant.

Something about this movie really grabs me! It really makes me laugh--but then I feel guilty because the Hoovers are a really tragic family and many of the situations aren't funny at all. (If you haven't seen this movie--just a warning--definitely NOT a kids movie. at least though on TV they cleaned up the language a bit)

Greg Kinnear's character--the dad--is a motivational speaker who can't seem to motivate anyone--especially his family. He's a tortured soul--trying so hard to make something happen--but failing. He can't get anyone to publish his book; he can't get his father to behave; he can't get his son to talk. Olive, his 7-year old, idolizes beauty pageants and wants to be a beauty queen. When she orders ice cream, he tells her ice cream makes people fat and beauty contestants aren't fat. Her mom groans and tries to stop him from the "fat" lecture, to no avail.

So Richard (Kinnear) had moved his father in with the family because Grandpa got kicked out of the nursing home for doing drugs. Grandpa is hardly the image of an honorable grandfather--his language is filthy. But Grandpa spends the most time with Olive of anyone....teaching her a routine for her talent in the pageant. (Oh no! It ends up being a striptease to SuperFreak)

Olive's teen aged brother is disturbed, hates everyone, and won't talk. Richard's gay brother-in-law has to stay with them because he just tried to commit suicide and the hospital wants someone to watch him around-the-clock.

(Should I be laughing at this? Doesn't sound funny, huh---but it is!) BUT--and this is a big but-- as tragic as the problems in this family are--as flawed as they are---they all come together to support their own when she has a chance to fulfill her dream. Olive is the most unlikely beauty queen contestant and the family, who in addition to being in the middle of crisis, certainly can't afford to make the trip to California. They risk it all though and jump through hoops to make it happen for Olive.

But I read somewhere the director of the movie said "This is not a movie about family values--but a movie about the value of family."

Wow....I think my family is somewhere between the Griswolds and the Hoovers. As much as I hate to admit it-- While we haven't had a relative die on a trip with us yet, we have had plenty of broken down cars, personal and financial crises, and Murphy's law always seems to find us. We have also made things happen for each other that were improbable, and offered support and sacrifice for one another...

As parents, (ok--mostly me) we've tried to show optimism, and to find new learning experiences and family memories for our kids (and they groan--just like in the movies) We've tried to address unfortunate challenges with, "Someday we'll look back on this and laugh" or "This will build character in your life" when really we don't believe that ourselves. The only answer I have now is that God has a plan for us--and He never promised it would be easy.

Then again, the appeal of "Little Miss Sunshine" to me might also be the metaphor in my own childhood....(and I'm already laughing inside just thinking about it!) Much like Olive, when I was in elementary school, I had a chance to enter a pageant. It was something totally foreign to me. When I mentioned it to my friend Johnny Belew, he just laughed and said "YOU! in a pageant?? You've got to be kidding!" (or something to that effect) I was quite a tomboy--rode horses, played with my dogs and didn't like to brush my hair. Also I had about the same shape as Olive--a little pudgy. Johnny's reaction though, spurred me on to be the best pageant contestant ever! His lack of confidence in my ability was now my reason to succeed.

We set out to get clothes. My mother had no idea what the going styles were in pageants and of course I didn't either. We picked up some Butterick patterns and had the lady who made my sister's cheerleading costumes make me some pageant dresses. :) My dance teacher, who also happened to be our neighbor and one of my mother's best friends-- choreographed a little dance to "Sweet Gypsy Rose" for me to perform for talent. I had no idea the song was about a stripper. When I got to the pageant I found that I was a lot different than the other girls in the competition. My clothes were a lot different than theirs as well. I don't remember that fazing me in the least...

I belted out the song and made my dance moves big and did a lot of shaking, and I won the talent award. (Not the beauty award but my mom convinced me that winning the talent award was even better...)

Something about watching Olive in "Little Miss Sunshine" doing a striptease on the stage to SuperFreak with no fear-- and her family supporting her, jumping up on stage and dancing around her--took me back to 1974 and the pudgy tomboy on the stage at Little Miss White County, thinking I was just where I belonged...

Gear-Grinders and Grin-Makers

On a light note--this is a late night post containing random thoughts--probably a little weird. :)

Are there some things that just "grind your gears???" I'm pretty easy going, painfully non-observant sometimes (daydreaming) but there are times that I realize something is annoying....such as: (this picture of the blueberries belongs to the second half of my post! not annoying at all!) :)

• Someone who knows all the answers---before you even finish your sentence. Have you ever started a sentence only to have the person you are talking with jump in with what they think is the rest of your sentence and what they think you should do about it? I usually then respond--well, "no--actually what I was telling you was...." (This makes me strive harder to be a better listener!)
• Children/husbands inability to throw away the food carton after they have taken the last cracker/cookie/chip etc. I think we have lots of snacks--yay!--but all the boxes are empty! This same affliction affects the children/husband when they unwrap any type of food. They are just unable to place the wrapper/box/cover in the trash.
• Dead/smushed animals on the road. This has always been really disturbing to me! I love Arkansas and Mississippi but I believe there are more dead animals on the road than living drivers! Shouldn't there be just a little bit of respect for that once-living being in removing it from the paths of 18-wheelers and giving it a proper disposal? One thing I noticed during the short time we lived in El Paso, Texas is that there were very few to NONE smushed animals! Many of the roads had concrete barriers separating the road from neighborhoods, animal habitats (mostly desert!) People's pets couldn't get out to a busy road and I don't think I ever saw a dead animal on a side road or in a neighborhood. It seems like where I live now they just are left there until they eventually become a part of the asphalt! Ok, I know that is gross, and no, I don't want to be the one to clean up the roads! But it is one of the few things that really bothers me!
• Gossip. I have a hard time deflecting gossip without sounding judgemental; but I think the worse is gossip in the name of prayer requests. I believe fully in answered prayer and also believe God will answer if we are praying for someone's needs even if we don't know every sordid detail. Have you ever heard something like this? "Y'all....we need to pray for Jan--ummmm....she just really needs it BAD.....her husband is threatening to leave her because of her spending habits and she's started drinking a lot....." (obviously a silly example, but you get the idea) I am NOT saying I have never gossipped--I am guilty. I sometimes grind my own gears!
• White lies. Well of course I detest lies, and I don't think I'm great at discerning when someone is telling me a big one! (EXCEPT for my kids!) But I am great at catching the little "white lies" and used to call people on it--but in my old age I have mellowed and just shake my head to myself--they know they aren't being truthful. For example: "I've been calling you over and over but could never get you!" (funny how some family members still think this works when we all have caller id and can check our missed calls on the cell phone)
• "No Problem" Why is it that everyone answers my "thank you" with "no problem" now? What happened to "You are welcome?" It's like they are implying that I was afraid I was being a problem by asking the server for a fork. Does this bother anyone else?? Do you ever just want to say "I KNOW it's no problem. It's your JOB. I wouldn't have asked you if it was actually a problem." (see I told you these are random and weird)
• The terms "Soda" and "Pop". I realize most people consider these appropriate terms for the soft drink. I consider Arkansas the South...but up here in the Northwest corner I hear a lot more people asking for a "soda" than a "coke." I realize "coke" is not the correct term for a Diet Dr. Pepper, but to me it is the right term. It's the initial request---indicating you would like a "soft drink"-- a "coke"; then by my Southern tradition you follow your initial request for a "coke" with the particular kind of coke you would like--such as a Sprite, Diet Dr. Pepper, etc. I know in my marketing world of "Branding" this is just wrong. But in my own world, it's the only way to ask for a carbonated drink!

Well--I will pause this list for now, until something else pops up that just grinds my gears....Instead I'd like to think about some of the simple things in life that bring joy! God gives us little pleasures that help us make it through all the big stuff that's not so pleasurable. I call these "Grin-Makers" --

• Dogs. Gosh I love dogs. And I loved that dogfood commercial about "We Love Dogs." (remember that? wish I had been the one to think of that!) Even though ours cause problems, often stink, often bark---they still are such precious personalities full of nothing but love for us! Isn't that the greatest feeling? I could be gone for a week and my kids have hardly noticed I'm gone but the dogs---Wow--it's like I drive up with beef gravy poured over me. They are so excited! We have a Basset Hound and a Chocolate Lab.
  The Basset just melts my heart and makes me laugh with her funny expressions and antics and the Lab is soooo loyal and actually does what you ask her to!
• When my children are funny---I remember when we were on a road trip when Savannah was barely old enough to talk. She must have been watching Nickelodeon earlier or something--out of nowhere she told a joke ..."Where do sheep get their hair cut?" "At the baaaaahhh==baahhhh shop!" We all just died--especially Maggie and Will. Several years later she was trying to get her dad to do something for her and very seriously said something about her "sparkling blue eyes" ..... We remind her of that once in a while! Will is something of a comedian and always has been---I love to laugh with my kids!
• Blueberries. I think they are the perfect fruit. I love the color, the taste, the look of blueberries. I just wish they were cheaper!
  
• Perfume. Scented Candles. Scented lotions. Great smelling hair spray. I think my sense of smell must be the strongest of my five senses. The right perfume can put me in a good mood all day! I don't even have a favorite-- I have lots of favorites. Perfume is not something I would buy for myself, so when someone else buys it for me I am delighted. I would love to leave an awesome smelling candle burning in my house all day every day..but don't because of the expense.
• A Cat's purr. That is something that automatically comforts me---it is such a warm sound of contentment, peacefulness. What a nice treat for us cat-lovers!
• Watching awesome creatures in my backyard--There is a big blue crane that flys around the little lake that is just fascinating! I can watch him trying to catch fish then when he takes off his wing span is huge. We have all kinds of birds, plus geese and ducks on the lake who have huge personalities. There is a hawk who I fear may get our cat or one of our bunnies....he/she normally just perches somewhere, but a man working on our property saw the hawk grab a wild rabbit and a black bird in the same day to feed her babies that are high up in a tree across from our mailbox! Maybe someday I will be a wildlife photographer....
• The voices of those I love. Have you ever noticed the shot of adrenaline you get when you answer the phone and it's that wonderful voice of one of your loved ones? Maybe it's because I was a broadcaster for so long, but voices are one of the first things I notice about people, and I think, one of the best things!

What grinds your gears?

What makes you grin?

"Mutually Encouraged by Each Other's Faith"

I have had fun diving into all the social media the past few months---it started as a professional pursuit and now I have found so many friends and acquaintances that it has taken a personal turn.

I believe both are valuable---I love to suggest adding value to my client's brand whether it's goods or services by taking advantage of social and viral marketing.

By the way, I have an old "blog" although the posts were far and few between--I have posted a link to it located on my first online scrapbook started years and years ago on "Multiply."

http://deanaday.multiply.com/journal

The posts range from my reactions from when J.B. Hunt slipped on some ice, resulting in his death and my memories of his funny expressions and stories to posts on Christmas traditions and Bill's health issues and sometimes ensuing miracles!

I wanted to just quickly share a thought that has run through my mind several times today----this verse: "That is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each others faith" Romans 1:12
This has been one of those mornings that I just don't understand the words or actions of some people. I don't know if it's because I'm getting older or if it's because of my station in life, or if its just God teaching me humility--but it seems that weekly and sometimes daily, there are people who say things or do things to tear me down. Maybe not intentionally--I would guess people behave this way because of distrust--but I can't for the life of me figure out why I would be the recipient of that.... Maybe I'm still naive--too transparent--too trusting. I think though, I treat people the way I would want to be treated.
BUT there are a few people that make up for everyone else! I believe God has given these people--one in particular--to give me a role model for being graceful in the direst of circumstances!
This person who I won't name because I don't have her permission to be writing about her in a blog---is FAITHFUL. She is faithful to God--THANKFUL for every small victory--and encourages me to do the same. This isn't a rich woman who spends her days shopping for herself--or decides who to befriend or give to based on what benefit it will mean for her--This is a person who despite tremendous challenges in her life--approaches people with the thought "how can I make this person's life a little easier?" or "What could I do to encourage this person in Christ?" or "Are there some words or actions from me that could resolve some problem today for this person?" WOW!
This is a woman who once had it all. I am sure there were a lot of jealous people out there, and probably those who assume she has life handed to her on a silver platter--are still jealous. You would think if you met her today for the first time that her life is a breeze--she has plenty of reasons to be joyful and thankful. And that's what she would tell you...because she IS joyful and thankful.
But heartbreak has been a major part of her life for many years....I won't go into details--but it involves a lot of loss--husband/father; relationships; and working full time while raising children on her own-------making decisions on her own--dealing with circumstances with your kids you never dreamed you would have to in your life....burying your mother....going through major surgery. She leans not on people for understanding--she leans on God.
I actually know another strong woman who is facing dire challenges with grace. It's just I haven't known her as long as the first one--but I am amazed by both.
I can look at their challenges as I face my own--challenges I never dreamed of. I knew life would not be easy but I wasn't prepared for what God had in store for me.
Because of this person's testimony--I am prepared for today. Her graciousness toward me makes me want to offer her encouragement--to cheer her on! Doesn't Christ command us to do this? Shouldn't we lay down our life for our brother? If we could just encourage one another through our faith, and not seek to discredit and distrust, we have a lot better chance of walking in God's will.