What's New With Us

Well, we're moving into Fall and things are moving along pretty well. Maddi started First Grade this year and I still just cannot believe it. I'm amazed how well she can read and continue to be impressed with her school. They stress key "life skills" (patience, curiosity, perseverance, etc.) and actually give the parents feedback on each child's grasp and use of them. I think we should all evaluate our own grasp and use of these!

Holly is convinced that she's going to be Spongebob for Halloween. Puke. I've tried everything under the sun to sway her to something.... errrrr.... that I like, but I have finally decided that it's her costume and her decision, so if she wants to be an annoying little character lacking any educational value whatsoever, then so be it! Hell, maybe Jack will be Patrick.

Jack has finally started walking.... right on cue at 15 months just like Holly. He is amazing! He is clever in ways that I have a hard time conceiving he could be. He weighs 25.5 pounds! I wish I knew how he stacked up size-wise for his age but I have yet to take him to his 1-yr well visit. Yes, I know! It's scheduled, Nana! Can you tell this isn't my first child?!

Jeff and I are headed to Edisto for his cousin's wedding the first weekend in October. I'm looking so forward to seeing his Mom & Scott again and meeting his sister, Laurie and her family. I'd say that I'm excited about meeting the rest of his family too, but since they all sided with Jeff's ex after the divorce and she is actually doing a reading in the wedding, I'll say that my emotions are more accurately described as something a dorky white kid would feel pledging Omega Psi Phi (you're thinking of that kid in Road Trip right now, aren't you?). I might be black-balled, I might be welcomed in, I might be whispered about in the ladies room, I might dance on the table with the famed Uncle Chuck, but I can tell you that I will be wearing a fabulously bold & sexy dress, I will have a fantastic time and I will be at my husband's side. So there... put that in your hat and smoke it!

There's more to tell about this weekend too.... taheeheehee. Amy and Stephanie are babysitting! Right down to pick-up at day care, shitty diapers, Dora marathons and all. I emailed them a "Field Manual" that included schedules, suggestions, translations for all of the pet names they have for everything, emergency numbers, etc. Steph told me last night that Amy responded to her with one line, "Is she serious?" I have absolutely no doubt that these two will take wonderful care of my babies and wouldn't trust the task to anyone other! I am looking forward to getting the low-down when we return, though :o)

My birthday was this week and I have to tell you about my wonderful neighbors (yet again!). I arrived home Monday, having mostly forgotten that it was my birthday, to find a beautiful Tea Olive potted beautifully in a giant terracotta pot, trimmed with Spanish Moss from Barbabra. Then, sitting out front later, I bare witness to a procession coming from Lane & Jill's, complete with singing, cupcakes and the most precious little gift. Jill is a "crafter" and can turn just about anything into a beautiful little piece of sunshine. She made me a tiny little bud vase/vial from the base of a silver knife and gave it to me with fresh, fragrant gardenias. I love my neighbors - they are family.

The best thing that's happened since our last update is that we got a visit from my brother, Mike. It's been many years since I've talked with him. He called Dad.... I called him.... and viola, we got together. It was great to see him and he seems so GOOD. He and Jeff really hit it off and it was great to introduce him to his niece and nephew. I'm looking forward to seeing more of him and hope that we do!

The last thing worth mentioning is my discovery of The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. Now, if you've heard of it, you've either heard that it's life altering and inspirational or you've heard that it's hocus pocus hogwash. I found it to be profound. I won't tell you what the secret is, but I will tell you that I have buy-in for most of it. It's really not anything we haven't heard put other ways: goal setting, positive thinking, thankfulness, etc., but it's put out there in a way that some might be able to utilize more. I've implemented a lot of the secrets into my life and feel fantastic. I'm optimistic about the future, I am energized about the present and I feel so.... errrr... confident, yeah, that's it: confident. And hopeful! It's good stuff and even if it is hogwash, who cares?! I feel like a million bucks! How is that a bad thing?!?!

Secret messages I wrote to myself and taped on my PC screen at work. I read them over and over throughout the day and instantly feel motivated and energized when I do:

• All things that I can have, do and become begin here, today.
• Every thought I have impacts the quality of my and my family's future and quality of living.
• The opportunities for me to have all things are all around me.
• I am so thankful for all that I have now and what I will have in the future.
• Thoughts become things.... Choose good ones!

Love dem Ribs

I have to post this recipe for two solid reasons: a) this picture is just too damn cute not to share and b) these were the best ribs I have ever wrapped my ghetto suckers around.

I've tried a few stabs over the years to cook ribs at home that were as good as the ones you get in the restaurants (fall off the bone, tender, etc.) without much luck. I've boiled, grilled, broiled, baked and every combination of the sort but Mom has perfected the art of cooking pork ribs! And the best thing? It's wicked easy!!!

Carol Richburg's Pork Ribs

2 racks of pork ribs

salt & pepper

red pepper flakes

garlic powder

1-2 large onions, sliced

braising liquid

1 bottle of your favorite sauce

Trim any unnecessary fat or scraps from the ribs. Liberally season ribs with spices to your taste. Arrange the onion slices in the bottom of a large roasting pan and cover with your braising liquid (Mom uses water but I think apple juice, white wine, beer or chicken stock would be fun to try). Do not submerge the onions as they will need to keep the ribs from setting in the liquid. Place ribs atop onions and cover with a tight fitting lid (if you don't have tight fitting lid, tightly wrap everything in aluminum foil and place on a baking sheet). Cook at 300 degrees for 3 hours. Uncover and liberally pour your favorite sauce over ribs (I like honey barbeque sauce with this recipe). Continue to cook, uncovered for 1 hour.

Enjoy!

Good Old Bob

Well, the polls are closed and it appears that you guys like to read about Politics the least! Shame on you! But since My Personal Thoughts come in at second place by a margin of only one vote, and since this is my blog, here's a daily dose of politics for you!


Good Old Bob & Those Stupid Ass Liberals
Bob gets up at 6 a.m. and fills his coffee pot with water to prepare his morning coffee. The water is clean and good because some tree-hugging liberal fought for minimum water-quality standards.

With his first swallow of coffee, he takes his daily medication. His medications are safe to take because some stupid commie liberal fought to insure their safety and that they work as advertised.

All but $10 of his medications are paid for by his employer's medical plan because some liberal union workers fought their employers for paid medical insurance - now Bob gets it too.

He prepares his morning breakfast: bacon and eggs. Bob's bacon is safe to eat because some girly-man liberal fought for laws to regulate them eat packing industry.

In the morning shower, Bob reaches for his shampoo. His bottle is properly labeled with each ingredient and its amount in the total contents because some cry baby liberal fought for his right to know what he was putting on his body and how much it contained.

Bob dresses, walks outside and takes a deep breath. The air he breathes is clean because some environmentalist wacko liberal fought for laws to stop industries from polluting our air.

He walks to the subway station for his government-subsidized ride to work. It saves him considerable money in parking and transportation fees because some fancy-pants liberal fought for affordable public transportation, which gives everyone the opportunity to be a contributor.

Bob begins his work day. He has a good job with excellent pay, medical benefits, retirement, paid holidays and vacation because some lazy liberal union members fought and died for these working standards. Bob's employer pays these standards because Bob's employer doesn't want his employees to call the union.

If Bob is hurt on the job or becomes unemployed, he'll get a workers compensation or unemployment check because some stupid liberal didn't think he should lose his home because of his temporary misfortune.

Its noon time and Bob needs to make a bank deposit so he can pay some bills. Bob's deposit is federally insured by the FDIC because some godless liberal wanted to protect Bob's money from unscrupulous bankers who ruined the banking system before the Great Depression.

Bob has to pay his Fannie Mae-underwritten mortgage and his below-market federal student loan because some elitist liberal decided that Bob and the government would be better off if he was educated and earned more money over his lifetime.

Bob is home from work. He plans to visit his father this evening at his farm home in the country. He gets in his car for the drive. His car is among the safest in the world because some America-hating liberal fought for car safety standards.

He arrives at his boyhood home. His was the third generation to live in the house financed by Farmers' Home Administration because bankers didn't want to make rural loans. The house didn't have electricity until some big-government liberal (FDR) stuck his nose where it didn't belong and demanded rural electrification.

He is happy to see his father, who is now retired. His father lives on Social Security and a union pension because some wine-drinking, quiche-eating liberal made sure he could take care of himself so Bob wouldn't have to.

Bob gets back in his car for the ride home, and turns on a radio talk show.The radio host keeps saying that liberals are bad and conservatives are good. Bob agrees: "We don't need those big-government liberals ruining our lives!After all, I'm a self-made man who believes everyone should take care of themselves, just like I have."

Is there a problem, officer?

"and he kicked that ole drunk coyote..."

a line from Ginga's latest release

Ready for bed in their favorites - my or Jeff's t-shirts


Anybody seen my driving glasses?

Recipes Worth Remembering

In the last month or so, I have been wowed by two culinary concoctions to come from Lane & Jill's kitchen. I have to put these somewhere so I won't lose them and I need to do it before I forget the ingredients. What better place to do so than right here!

Jill's Sangria

Seriously, the best cocktail I've ever had. Period. The recipe went missing but she's pretty sure this is it (Jill, please comment if I get this wrong!).

1 cup vodka

1 cup triple sec

1 bottle dry white wine

1 cup sugar

1 can lemon-line soda

1 peach

1 lime

1 orange

1 lemon

Clean and slice the fruit. Mix the vodka, triple sec, sugar and fruit in the bottom of a pitcher and let set until the sugar dissolves. When you're ready to serve, add in the wine and soda. Serve over ice.

Lane's Wicked Good Fried Chicken Strips

Barbara comes walking across the street holding this crispy morsel in a napkin and says I have to try this new chicken tender Lane's just created. I look at it and think, yeah, OK chicken strips... woowee. Then I take a bite! Serious perfection!

I think he eye-balled the measurements so he didn't have a definitive recipe, but I think I've come close.

1-2 lbs chicken breast tenders

1 sleeve saltine crackers, crushed

1 cup corn meal

1 cup flour

salt

pepper

garlic powder

1 cup buttermilk

1/4 hot sauce (my addition!)

Soak chicken tenders in buttermilk (add hot sauce if you want them a little spicy). Meanwhile, mix together crackers, corn meal, flour, salt & pepper and garlic.

Drain buttermilk from chicken. In a large plastic container or paper bag, toss in chicken and breading mixture, shake until evenly coated. Let set for at least 5 minutes. Fry until done!

Enjoy!

Glass Ceiling

It was 105 degrees at least two days last week. Sitting in the parking lot at the grocery store, I watched a very pregnant woman slowly waddling the 20-yard hike from her car to the store. I sat and remembered what that felt like... pelvic bones aching from the bone and cartilage shifting and increasing pressure inside, back sore to the touch from the constant strain, lungs tight and confined from the bulging uterus, body sweating and weak from extra 30-50 pounds it now had to carry.

Seeing this woman and thinking a lot lately of my friends and family that are expecting or either just delivered (Amanda just had baby Shelby, Jenny still in the hospital with baby Reese, Kelley expecting her second - maybe a boy! and Sherry expecting a baby boy at the end of the month) gave me an idea. Many of you might have gotten an email from me asking for support for a proposed bill referendum that allows women in their second trimester to be issued 6-month temporary handicapped parking.

Whether you agree or disagree is absolutely up to you but I will say that I was taken aback by my mom's response. When I asked what she thought she responded that she would not support the referendum. She said that she had to walk when she was pregnant and she made it just fine.

Well, there you go. Once Mom has formed an opposing opinion, there can be no dialogue or conversation. She clamps down like a bear trap around her ideals and beliefs and time spent discussing usually ends up with me pretending not to hear the partisan barbs while I nod in silence. I try to keep my own thoughts to myself because a) there's no use and b) I love her and don't want to argue with her.

Was her only reason for not wanting to make life a little easier for someone else because no one had made it easy for her? What harm or inconvenience would come her in the far fetched event that the law was amended? Then I wondered if Mom was looking down through her own glass ceiling.

The first time I ever felt the glass ceiling was when Tammy Cagle (aforementioned in the Wretched Cows I Can't Stop Hating post) informed me at an annual review that she would not be increasing my salary. That I was a tremendous asset to the company (which had just peaked it's most profitable year) and growing as a business woman in leaps and bounds but she had worked for the company for 10 years before she made the salary I was making. I could not be rewarded because she had struggled. The glass ceiling.

By definition, the glass ceiling is an invisible barrier that exists that keeps minorities from advancing beyond a certain level. I always imagined an overweight white man with a big office, coffee stained teeth and a receptionist he called Darlin' keeping the foothold on the ceiling. Not us. Not women.

I'm sure we may all be a little guilty of it. I was more than a little green when I heard they were no longer making you wait to be dilated at 5cm before giving you an epidural and thought "psssh... stinking little heifers don't know what it REALLY feels like to be in labor - you try being in labor 14 hours without an epidural and see how much of a woman you are!" I secretly wished their episiotomies would get infected. What the hell does it matter if your experience isn't like mine? If you can pop that little sucker out without breaking a sweat, then more power to ya, sister!

Here's the thing. We wake before anyone else each day to fold that basket of laundry, lay out something for supper and maybe steal a quite moment with a cup of coffee, we dress the kids, we get their breakfast and pack their bags, we dress ourselves - wondering if we have enough time to shave our legs AND moisturize, we haul the kids to daycare and school, we work all day long at our jobs eating leftovers for lunch to save money, we rush home, we cook supper, we bathe the kids, we put them to bed, we survey the damage and tidy up the house, we pay bills or fold clothes while we watch TV and when the day is finally done we have sex with our husbands (because, God we need one more thing to have to do everyday).

Life for the modern woman is tough. There will always be a glass ceiling. Let's try to make sure it's not tinted pink.

WHO's Who

I'm talking about the World Health Organization not that section of your high school year book. OK, so I'm on my soap box again and this time it's about health care.

Talk to most Americans and you'll hear some common thoughts.... 1) Health care systems managed by the government is Socialism. 2) The US has far superior doctors and the best wait times. 3) You receive poor heath care and service in countries like Canada and France - where the services are free. 4) The insured are tired of paying taxes that fund medicare and other social services - OK, so I'm not touching that one today... that's for another post.

I disagree. This year, for the first time ever, WHO asses ed the health care systems of all the countries in the world. This study was based on five criteria: 1) overall level of population health; 2) health inequalities (or disparities) within the population; 3) overall level of health system responsiveness (a combination of patient satisfaction and how well the system acts); 4)distribution of responsiveness within the population (how well people of varying economic status find that they are served by the health system); 5) and the distribution of the health system’s financial burden within the population (who pays the costs).

Top 20
1 France
2 Italy
3 San Marino
4 Andorra
5 Malta
6 Singapore
7 Spain
8 Oman
9 Austria
10 Japan
11 Norway
12 Portugal
13 Monaco
14 Greece
15 Iceland
16 Luxembourg
17 Netherlands
18 United Kingdom
19 Ireland
20 Switzerland

Where did the US rank? 37th place.

I, for one, have no first hand knowledge of Singapore or Luxembourg. Let's talk about what's closest to home. What we may know more about - like Canada. Most Americans have been lead to believe that the Canadian health care system (and the other 72% percent of the top ten) may be free but you have to wait for hours to see a doctor, weeks to have surgery, etc. What did WHO find? The 10 nations with the most responsive health systems are the United States, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Denmark, Germany, Japan, Canada, Norway, Netherlands and Sweden. OK, so there goes that argument.

Speak with anyone in my husband's family, who are all Canadian, and you'll not hear anything akin to what we Americans perceive to be true of the Canadian health care system. My husband's experiences with US doctors and services are no different than what he experienced back home.

So how do we fix it? How does the greatest, strongest country in the world move up from #37? I'm not sure, but I think we can all agree that changes are needed. Prepaid medical accounts maybe? None of us cares how much our doctors and surgeons charge because a third party (our insurance company) is paying. If we were all paying out of pocket, I bet we'd be paying more attention to the $25 aspirin and $800 ambulance fees. One thing's for sure, we have created a monster - doctors and pharmaceutical companies charge what they want because the insurance companies will pay - they just jack our premiums up and up and up. And so long as these industry giants are funding political parties, I think it'll be a long time coming before we see any changes (or maybe just until 2008! Go DEMS!)

So, that's my rant for the day. Before you focus your attention only on your tax dollars paying for the uninsured - maybe spend some time thinking about why it is that we live in a society where we have folks that can't afford said insurance.

Sunday Dinner

I can guarantee you that I would not be able to pick up the phone on Sunday and reach any of my home-town friends between the hours of 11AM-3PM. I know where they are though... at their Mama's for Sunday Dinner.

This is a tradition that goes back before we were born. Since the beginning of time, Southerners have spent Sundays with family eating giant homemade meals, napping in their daddy's Lazy-Boy, reading the newspaper, watching football, just taking it easy and catching up. I'm not romanticizing this either - it's the way that it is, or at least it was in the small town I grew up in.

I shared many Sunday meals at my friends' homes (and their grandparents) as a teenager having spent the night. Every weekend I ever spent visiting my college roommate was complemented with Sunday dinner at either her parents house (love me some of Judy's apple butter), an aunt's house or even her girlfriend's mother's house - the point being on Sunday you find someone's table to park your brogans under. Even as I got older, there was no hangover that would keep me away from the comforts of Sunday Dinner... I'd drag ass up, throw on a sweatshirt and ball cap and head home.

One of the things Jeff and I will never be on the same page about is how to spend Sundays. Sunday seems to be Jeff's "Day of Rest" wherein he wants to see no one and go nowhere. I find myself climbing the walls, missing my Mama and wanting so damn badly to be peeling peaches for a fresh cobbler she can toss together in 2 minutes. Don't get me wrong, I love my husband and children more than anything on this earth, but Sunday for me is bigger than just us. It's watching Ginga wrap himself around Holly's finger and smelling the mouthwatering goodness coming from Mom's kitchen. It's stretching out on someone else's couch - a luxury I don't get at home because there is always something that needs to be done at home. It's grandparents helping entertain the kids for a little so I can actually pee alone or slip out on the front porch and sit with my hubby - just the two of us. It's the perfect way to end the week and get ready for the next.

I can't think about Sunday Dinner without thinking about my friend Stephanie. Stephanie has spent many a Sunday at my folks' house and can tell you in under 15 seconds what she'd like to have: Baked ham, macaroni & cheese, butter beans, greasy rice (actually, that's mine, but you HAVE to have greasy rice with ham!), potato salad and biscuits. All homemade, all delicious and all reasons why she loves my mom!

My Perfect Sunday Dinner
Fried Cubed Steak
Rice & Gravy
Crowder Peas
Sliced Tomatoes & Cucumbers
Zucchini Pie
Biscuits
Chocolate Delight or Banana Pudding for dessert!

What's yours? What dishes sum up good memories for you? Please post your favorites here or send me an email. I'd love it if you would share your recipes too!

Black & White

Don't you just love black and white photos? I found a few of my favorites and set them to black and white. It just makes them... I don't know... seem timeless or something. Enjoy!

Holly in Gracie's Bed

Ginga and Jack


Nana and Holly


Maddi and Jack

Daddy and Jack



Jack's Arrival

Holly & Daddy

Ginga and Holly

Daddy & Maddi

Grandma & Jack

Tips From the Rivers Kitchen

OK, so I'm feeling a little Martha today. I was talking to Maddi's mom yesterday about saving time at dinner and I realized I have quite a few handy-dandy tricks and tips in my arsenal that might be worth sharing.

Make a giant batch of homemade meatballs and freeze then in gallon-size freezer bags. Pop open a jar of sauce, throw the meatballs in and they're defrosted by the time the pasta is done.

Speaking of meatballs... instead of trying to eyeball the amount to use when forming the balls, lay the meat mixture out on a cutting board or clean counter. Shape into a rectangle that's about an inch and a half thick. With a knife, cut the slab like you would brownies that are also an inch and a half square. Shape the little squares into balls and viola, you've got 900 meatball that are exactly the same size. Oh, and bake them instead of pan-frying, it's easier and less messy!

I throw leftover sandwich bread, hot dog buns, etc. into the freezer and toss in my food processor anytime I need breadcrumbs. Toss in some Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese if you like using the Italian variety.

Keep rice wine vinegar in the house. It is a perfect replacement for lemon juice in savory recipes. You can also add it to milk to create a buttermilk substitute. It's also wonderful on fresh cucumbers and tomatoes as it's very mild.

Toss leftover grapes in the freezer. They are a perfect way to keep a glass of white wine cool in the summer heat.

Fill freezer bags with the amount of chicken or pork chops your family will eat at one meal. Add marinade to each bag. The night before you're planning to cook them, toss in the refrigerator and they will marinate while they defrost.

Cook giant batches of spaghetti sauce and freeze in individual meal-size containers.

Make meatloaves, salmon patties (great!), lasagnas, etc. as you have time and keep them in the freezer to save time in the evening.

Cube leftover cake and layer with pudding or cherry pie filling and cool whip in a trifle bowl for a new dessert.

Don't bother peeling potatoes for potato salad - just cube and boil. The peel adds great texture, flavor and vitamins!

Speaking of potato salad - gently add whole eggs to the boiling water the last 5 minutes. No need to wash two pots!

Make a dozen peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and freeze in individual bags for bag lunches.

Always salt water for cooking pasta, potatoes and rice.

When you drain your pasta, don't rinse. Add back to the cooking pot and ladle some sauce in and toss. The sauce keeps the pasta from gumming up and sticking and really adds to the flavor.

Freeze OJ in ice cube trays and use in kool-aid (sugar-free of course!), fruity drinks, etc. so your kids get the healthy benefit and their drinks don't get watered down. I do the same with milk to use when packing the diaper bag for a day trip.

Make "soda" for your kids using cranberry juice and tonic.

Please add comments with your tips and tricks! I'd love to know what you have up your sleeves!

'At-a-boy for me!

I'm so excited about this! Our number one order of business at Ryder is safety - or more so, safety expenses. Inheriting a location with a multitude of historical shortcomings (injuries and collisions to name a few), I set out to create a good safety culture here and more importantly, shave off the costs associated with safety incidents.

I created posters like the one shown here with pictures I collected of our employees families. As luck would have it, one of the safety big-wigs noticed them during a visit and viola, I'm getting some serious 'at-a-boys!

Following is from a feature page on Ryder.com. This is a pretty big deal considering Ryder is an international company!

Oh, and another thing I'm pretty jazzed about is that Ryder was just voted #1 in the world in third-party logistics (which is the division I work in). Oh, happy day!


Safety Best Practice Features
Family Posters Drive Safety Home

Mandy Rivers, Location Manager at Ryder's Bellsouth (AT&T) account in Columbia, South Carolina, knows that safety awareness should be emphasized on a daily basis. It is important that all Supply Chain Solutions employees understand the importance of returning home to their families each day in the same condition in which they left. Ryder and its customers all depend on employees to do their job safely, but most important of all, their families depend on them.

To drive this message home, Mandy used posters with family photos to remind all employees about who is depending on them the most to perform their job in a safe manner. The posters feature actual pictures of employees' children and grandchildren with various safety messages. Employees see their loved ones' pictures before they begin their run or perform various warehouse duties. Posters like these can be displayed in the driver dispatch area and/or employee time card area (any visible place). This is a great way of going the extra mile in "driving safety home" to all employees.

Here's the link: http://www.ryder.com/employees_safetyzone_bestpractice.shtml

Quiet Blessing

I think God blesses us when he can with quiet little miracles that help us through the rough times when they come around. Who would have ever imagined what a blessing we would find when we bought our home.

Jeff and I both wanted to buy a home in the country but had neither the money or time to find what we wanted. Instead, we settled for a house in a small neighborhood near work and my folks. We were somewhat resistant to suburban living, but chose to settle there all the same.

If you've never experienced it, it may be hard to describe to you, but I submit to you that our little neighborhood has been my salvation and means to sanity time after time. It's an "L" shaped street with two cul-de-sacs and we live at the end. Every evening, after supper or perhaps to chase down the ice cream man, we all seem to meander out and about and have come to know and love one another. Sometimes it reminds me of living in the dorm... leaving our doors open, wandering in and out of each other's spaces and never hard pressed to find an ear or a hand.

I have to start with Baba (Holly's abbreviated version for Barbara). Barbara has been my saving grace more times than I can count. My babies love her to pieces - especially Holly. Holly's first order of business when we get home is to head over to Baba's. When I'm sick or tired or both, she's always there to help me with the little ones, the house, the pets, supper or even putting a cool rag on my neck when I've overdone it - true story, it happened yesterday! She could very well have been in the cast of Designing Women as she is a true Southern Woman.... strong, soothing, determined, funny and persistent.

Baba in the Mojitos

Lane and Jill live across the street. Add these two to the cast and things really start to get happy! I'll never forget driving home from the hospital with Jack to find our yard filled with a double-stroller, a baby gate big enough for an elephant, gifts, balloons and more! My heart was truly filled with warmth and I knew that we were home. Jill and I have walked similar roads and I take so much comfort in her - she is a special soul. Lane is the only guy I've seen Jeff be himself around so easily - maybe this is because they both share the same philosophy on the fart-n-fluff. Our kids adore them and feel just as comfy walking to their front door as they do to ours.

Lane & Jill

Our latest members are Katy and Chisholm - die hard nature buffs who know way more than I need to about anything and everything that has a nucleus. I just love to watch the way Katy's face lights up when she talks about a lizard she's seen - my bad Katy, I meant to say "anole"! They are newlyweds and it's nice to see the energy they have for each other. Katy has a natural curiosity about life that makes me smile. Since Katy and I share a passion for cooking and Jeff and Chisholm always seem willing Guinea pigs, they are great to have over on a Saturday night. I can't wait until they "take seed!"

Katy & Chisolm

There's Terry who just asked her aging mother to move in with her and her son, Carson - aka hell on wheels. There's Vance and Lisa and Lisa's insatiable need to clean and prune which means they have the best looking place on the street. There's Tippy, the neighborhood organizer and resident grandmother with the Easter egg trees, inflatable Santa and screaming ghosts that drop out of the trees right on cue each holiday. There's the crabby old farts that wear sweatpants year round and fuss at the kids when they run across the grass. There's Ron - single and shirtless. They are everywhere and they are each wonderful. They are family.

Aside from the fabulous cast of characters I get to have in my life, we are all extremely active with neighborhood events. We have a Easter Egg Hunt, yard sales, a Halloween Festival, a Christmas party - complete with Santa, and this year, our first annual Red, White & Blue Party for the 4th.

Holly & Katy

I miss my old friends from my younger, less married, less mothered days and wonder if we'll ever be as close as we once were. Jobs and families leave little time for much else - maybe that's why it's been so easy for me to find comfort in my own front yard.

I know we won't live here forever - we're busting out of the seams now - but I'll always hold a special place in my heart for the quiet little blessing we found here in our own front yard.

What's New With Us!

This summer has been very busy for us!

Jeff is starting a new job with Richland School District One as a plumber. This is great news for us as he will no longer have to work late at night or weekends. He will be off at 3PM each day and be off for all of the traditional school holidays!

Holly is hitting the Terrible Twos hard! I can't help but to laugh at her little behind, though. She was recently asking me for something and Nana suggested she wait until after supper. Holly very clearly said, "No, Nana, I'm talking to my MAMA." I should have given her a swat for that but instead I laughed. You just can't take life too seriously when you have three kids. I'd love to be the perfect mom with perfect kids but that's just not ever going to be our reality so I laugh sometimes when I shouldn't and just try to live in the millions of little moments God gives us.

Another thing that we all find funny about Holly is her name for her Granddad. Dad has always said that he wanted to just be called "Granddad".... not PeePaw or PooPoo or any other cutsie name, just Granddad. Holly, who has beautiful enunciation and an extended vocabulary, chooses to call her granddad "Ginga" (GEEN-ga). She can clearly say the word granddad but when you point and ask who he is, the answer is always the same.... Ginga!

Jack just turned a year old in June and is wearing 18-24 month clothing. He's a little haus like his sister was. He crawling all over the place but still not walking. He loves to throw balls and flip his little arms out to try and catch them too. Bless his heart, he goes to sleep at 7PM on the dot every night and sleeps till morning. As Mom loves to say, he's such a gooooood baby.

Maddi just wrapped up cheerleading camp, swimming lessons (though she can swim like a fish), vacation bible school and will soon be enrolling in gymnastics again. Her mom keeps her busy, which is good, I suppose, because Maddi is very social. She is best buds with two little girls in our neighborhood - Katie Brice and Logan. She is very protective of her little brother and sister and sneaks kisses when no one is looking - she's still got to be cool, you know!

I'm good too.... my job is terrific and keeps me going sometimes. It's a wonderful outlet for me to grow and stretch and learn. I have a new rule for myself as a go forward in life - I will never work for anyone ever again that does not have children and a family. I am blessed with two supervisors who talk about their kids as much as I think of mine. We work hard but when it's quitting time, everyone's out the door to be with what's important to us. I feel like I've finally struck a balance and it's good!

Political Rants

OK, so I've got to have a place to vent my political rants.... I'll start by sharing with you excerpts of a letter that I wrote for Keven Cohen - a local conservative talk show host that I listen to occasionally on-air. We don't usually agree on everything but I think he respects my opinion and knows a little of my story. Here it is....

Hi Keven,

What I love about your show is that, though we seem to differ on our political positions, you are open to hearing the perspectives of others and do not take an "all or nothing" stance when it comes to politics. It seems these days, political personalities in the media are so extreme Left or Right that common sense and conversation regarding opposing ideas are nonexistent. What I'm saying is that I appreciate the way you convey your beliefs and still keep an open mind for those who may bring something different to the table.

You've put me on the air several times and I know that my perspective is not that of your target market so I've taken some hits from callers who call in after me. Each time I've called there's been one thing I wish I had time to talk with you about - Why I'm a Democrat. It could turn into a long dialog so I've never brought it up - out of respect for your time and your producer's sanity.
It seems that "Democrat" and "Liberal" are dirty words here in the South for some reason. The perception is that we are either bums looking for a free ride, tree huggers, moral-lacking freaks or socialists - none of which am I. I've heard you say you want to get back to "conservative values" before and I don't know what that means - I'm a liberal and I think I have outstanding values.

To get back to my point, I want to tell you who I am and why I'm a democrat. I am a thirty-something, married, mother of three. My family and I are Episcopal and go to church as often as we can. I own my home and am a senior manager in the business sector. My performance at work is measured by P&Ls and productivity. I have owned a handgun and love to fish (got rid of the gun when I saw that commercial that said "So-and-so hid his gun so well it took his daughter 6 years to find it." - that hit home). I grew up in an upper-middle class Republican household.

Growing up with two die-hard Republican parents, I, of course, started my adult-hood as a Republican too. As I moved away from the security of my parents into the real world I started to see things differently. The things that I had been taught all my life started to conflict with the way I felt inside. My roommate in college - who is still to this day one of my favorite people on earth - is Lesbian. She did not know it or (or would not accept it) the first 2-3 years that we lived together. She came from a small mountain town in Georgia from a very religious, conservative family. Being Lesbian was the last thing on earth this woman wanted. I watched her struggle with who she was for years and helped her deal with the realization that she is, in fact, Lesbian. Now, I was raised to dislike gay people and was taught that sexuality is a choice. But I submit to you - if it truly is a choice, my dear friend would be married to someone named Earl with 6 kids making her parents proud. My point here is not to debate homosexuality, but to tell you that this was one of the first trials in my life that made me question my political perspectives.

As I got older and started paying more attention to the economy, I also started to question these perspectives. In a nut shell, I came to believe in demand-driven economics. Put the money in the hands of the people and they will energize the economy. Where we live in the world is among laborers, small business owners, teachers and policemen. People love the idea of Tax Cuts but it's my belief that if we aren't building schools, then Joe Roofer isn't making money so he can't buy a new car, so Bill Car Salesman isn't getting a commission, so he's not buying his kids a new swimming pool, so Main Street Pool Store isn't selling a new pool, so Joe Backhoe isn't digging the hole for it and on and on and on. This is why I'm for raising minimum wage - these folks spend 100% of their income - putting it right back into our local economy. I believe that the benefit of taxation is greater than tax cuts for people like me and that tax cuts only benefit the wealthy. I could write a dissertation for all the reasons I believe what I believe about economics (as could you, I'm sure!) so I'll leave this point.

I was raised to believe that welfare recipients were drug users and too lazy to work. In 2005 I walked into work the day after Christmas and was told that my position had been discontinued. I had been with the company for almost 10 years and was 4 months pregnant. Now uninsured and unable to find work, I found myself and my children on Unemployment, Medicaid and WIC. Standing in line to obtain these services with my pregnant belly and two children at my side humbled me to the bone. Once I had our third child, I was able to find a great job, but for almost a year, I shopped with my WIC vouchers and withstood the glares from those around me. I announced across the waiting room when asked by the receptionist in my pediatrician's office that yes, little Holly's insurance had changed and we were now on Medicaid. I laid my head down every night and thanked God for our health and prayed that we would make it. God answered but so did the State of South Carolina.

I believe that as long as the American oil companies are lining their pockets with trillions of dollars and passing those dollars to Republican campaigns, we will never see alternative sources of fuel and the same goes for the insurance/drug industry and health care reform. I believe that more people than not judge people based on race, sex, sexuality and religion and it sickens me. And I wonder what happened to the term, "Southern Democrat?"

So, here it is. This is me and this is why I'm a Democrat. I will continue to listen to your show and hope to maybe one day have a chat with you about what you believe in too.

Sincerely,
Mandy Rivers