Winning! Is it everything?

I was watching the new Tiger Woods ad for Nike and it kind of rubbed me the wrong way.  They are implying that because he is winning now, it erases all the mistakes of his past.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/golf/2013/03/26/nike-tiger-woods-ad-too-edgy/2023163/

Hey I am all for forgiveness and redemption, but to imply that by winning some tournaments it washes away all the bad things he did in the past is crazy, but on the other hand maybe as a society we do forgive and forget just because someone is so good at something.

I wish Tiger well and hope he finds peace and moves forward in a positive way, but to say just winning a tournament makes everything better is just plain nuts.

Maybe Nike should have asked his ex-wife and children if they have gotten past all the hurt Tiger caused.  But then again maybe I am in the minority and in today's world winning is everything!

Cindy

Disclosure:  Trust me I love to win and to follow a winning team, but it shouldn't be a free pass for all your past mistakes.

Change

As I watched while holding my breath last night during the election results I was saddened.  My country that I love is not the same as I believed it would always be.  It felt kind of like when you realize there is no Santa.  You can not change it.  You have to accept it.  But right now I can not do that.  I have a picture in my head of an America of yesterday!  Strong morals, work ethic, family, church.  That is gone and it saddens me.

One tv anchor said the Republican Party needs to get a more conservative candidate and I thought are you crazy.  The majority of the country does not like being conservative.  Mitt Romney was a pretty middle of the road guy and he could not win.  By the way after listening to him for the last few months and his lovely wife Ann I really thought he would make a great president and get this country going again.

I say to myself am I missing something:

Almost 8% unemployment
16 Trillion dollars in debt
Almost 50% of the people on some sort of government help
Our religious freedoms being challenged


How could people think we are going in the right direction, but it happened.

I could say many things about why I think people voted for a president who has not done a good job and I think has divided this country even more with his language but I will offend many people I care about.

So what do I do, I pick myself up and go on.  I will accept that the majority of people have spoken and go about my day and do like I have always done try to be the best wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend that I know God made me to be.

By the way, I do not believe President Obama is a bad person.  I do believe that he has a different agenda for the country than I do.

I can accept change, but I do not have to change with it!  I will always be a person who has traditional values!

God Bless our Great Nation!

Memories!

Today my sister sent me a listing for the house we grew up in.  What a shock!!!

I remember our house as comfortable and actually it was quite large compared to some other houses in our neighborhood.  My parents had added on a couple of times.  We ended up with 4 bedrooms, kitchen, dining room, 1 bath(7 children), laundry room with pantry and a huge family room.  Our yard had an above ground pool, which brought us countless hours of fun in the summer.  We kept our house tidy and my dad was always puttering in the yard and around the house.

We sold the house when my mom passed away in 2001.  We painted the inside put all new carpet in the house and sold it for around $104,000.  ( Not sure of the actual price but close enough.  I think my parents paid under $6000 for it in around 1946)

Here is the listing for my childhood home.  Very sad.  I hope when my children come back to our home with their children or grand children they would see a well kept home and a new family who loves to live here as much as we do!

The bedroom upstairs does not look to bad.  That is the room with the eaves that I shared with my sisters for many years.  Love you guys!!

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/1804-Lotus-Dr_Round-Lake-Heights_IL_60073_M82871-57864

UVA Law Men's Softball Tourney

What a fun weekend Mick and I had in C-Ville.

Charlottesville has become a favorite place for Mick and I to visit.  It is a great college town but also there are other things to do there.  The scenery and history in the area are great and we look forward to our visits to UVA.

Warren plays on a softball team at UVA.  It is something a lot of Law School students do.  I guess they have lots of spare time.  Well at least they get there heads out of the books for awhile.

We got to meet some of the parents of Warren's team mates and Mick even participated in some kind of game involving beer, cups, and paddles.  But we will leave that for another time.

Hiking one morning.

Ash Lawn the home of James Monroe.  It is very close to Thomas Jefferson's Monticello.

Celebrating the big victories!

Glad to be home and looking forward to celebrating Easter at the Johnson's.

Decision Making

I will admit it right here!!  I Cindy McCarty have trouble making decisions.  It can be from what to wear, where to eat dinner, to what paint color to choose.

I am having that trouble right now.  Why can't I just make a decision and stick to it.  The answer is simple and it is always the same answer.  I am afraid to make the wrong choice.  You see I do not have confidence in my decisions in certain areas.  Sometimes I think I see things differently when it comes to color, style etc.

Well I have to make a decision by tomorrow morning.  Help!  I think I will just let my painter make that decision in the morning I need to go eat some grapes!

Here Goes....

I did not want my blog to become political or a soap box, but I just could not let this one go.


I will say upfront (as if you probably didn't already know) I AM PRO LIFE.


The Susan G. Komen Controversy:


Over the last few years it came to my attention that Susan G Komen (who by the way does wonderful work to help find a cure for breast cancer) was giving money to Planned Parenthood for"breast health" at their clinics.  I was not thrilled so I would not donate because there was no accountability as to where this money was actually being spent.  The people at Planned Parenthood said it was going for breast exams etc.  I do not believe that, they are the biggest provider of abortions in the United States.


This week the Susan G Komen Foundation decided to not give grant money to PP.  Hooray!  Until 2 days later when they caved under political pressure and changed their mind and will now allow PP to apply for grant money.


During these 48 hours PP raised 1 million dollars in donations.  I am sure from the Pro Choice side.  During this same time Susan G Komen donations were up 100% mostly from Pro Life supporters.


I struggle with this because on the one hand if PP saved one life through a brochure they handed out or a breast exam than that is awesome.  But on the other hand they  performed over 300,000 abortions last year.


I was just about to send The Komen Foundation my donation yesterday before I heard of the reversal and I just couldn't.  If 1 cent of my money was used for abortions I would be sick!


Don't get me wrong The Komen Foundation does soooo much to help fight and find a cure for breast cancer, but they have to be able to assure me where my donation is going. So until they can assure me that the money  I donate will in no shape or form be used to fund abortions than I can not donate.


Until then I am looking into other ways of helping to fight breast cancer.  Here is a link to The National Breast Cancer Foundation and I have just made my donation. http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/


I was going to say I will get off my soapbox now, but I don't think I will ever get off of this one.  I Choose Life.

Being Grandparents....

Mick and I got the pleasure of watching Caleb, Meredith and Shane Friday night.  What fun we had with them.

We have so much fun and hope the kids do too!

Some highlights, Meredith got to put on her Minnie Mouse dress and ears I got her.  Caleb got to play with the scrap wood pile in the basement.  He made some invention with levers, and Shane was introduced to the pool table.

A few pictures of our Friday night.

Parked in our driveway.  I think Shane was ready to get out of the car.

Shane loved the Tupperware!

I will get to see  Evangeline and Zachary in March.  I can't wait!