A Lesson from NieNie

Just like many of you, I have been parusing the NieNie Dialogues. One thing that has really stood out is how many pictures Stephanie (NieNie) has of herself--her alone, with her kids, with her husband, and on and on. At first I thought this was odd, and maybe even a little self-centered of her to take so many pictures of herself. Well, my opinion has definitely changed.

Currently NieNie is in the Maricopa County burn center where she is coming out of a two-month coma after a private plane crash. She defied death and her life now will never be the same. Doctors had to graft skin all over her body and face and she will likely undergo a hundred or more surgeries as she heals. She will never look the same again. A great (and long and emotional) write-up of the story is here. And if the unthinkable had happened and she had not survived, at the very least her precious children would have had many pictures to remember their beautiful mother. NieNie's story and her blog have inspired this question of me:

If something happened to me would my children have many pictures of their mother?

I have noticed that one missing element to many of our family's pictures is mom--it's me--I'm missing. My husband, my children, my future grandchildren deserve to have pictures of their wife, mother, or grandmother. And it's definitely not self-centered to make sure I include my children's mother in photos from time to time.

So I dare you, whoever you are--it's okay to take pictures of yourself. It was even kind of fun to try to figure out those timer settings that I've never tried before. :)

How I Intend To Vote: Judges

Most folks don't know what to do about that long list of judges. The only wrong way to vote here is to just go down the list and check "yes" next to every name. Thousands and thousands of voters simply vote "yes" on all the judges because they don't have good information. I suggest one of 3 approaches:

1. Don't vote on the judges. That's right. It's OK to not vote on some issues or races. Really. There are too many items on a presidential-year ballot for anyone to be an expert (or even well-informed) on everything. Vote on the races for which you have enough info to make a good decision.
2. Vote "no" on all the judges. My personal favorite. It helps combat all those people who automatically vote "yes" on everything. How else are we gonna get rid of activist judges in our state?
3. Vote "yes" or "no" after conducting detailed research on each judge. Of course you can start by researching the Judicial Performance Review. But may I suggest a different source. AZ Judges Review has the real dirt on some of these judges. Happy reading!

How I Intend To Vote: The Mesa Questions

I know that many voters have already sent in their Last-To-Be-Counted Ballots so I'm going to do my best to get through the rest of the ballot quickly. Mesa voters have this on their ballots:

Questions 1 and 2
No position.
All I have to say about these is that before you vote "yes", understand that you are authorizing Mesa to get into more debt, and that the debt is to be paid by property owners. A "yes" vote is a vote to raise taxes on yourself.

Proposition 400: The Slumlord Thing
No.
This proposition is supposed to somehow combat deteriorating properties by giving more power to the city government. None of us like to see our city rot, but until someone can give me a good argument why this particular measure is the answer to our problems I'll be voting "no".

A "no" vote is always the safer one when it comes to propositions. If you vote "no" on a good proposition there's still an opportunity to revisit the issue later. But if you vote "yes" on a bad law, those are very hard to undo. As Jedediah Jedediahson, my great uncle, twice removed would always say, "When in doubt, vote 'no'". Good advice. There is usually less regret that way.

Thoughts on Mesa blog has some...well, thoughts about Prop 400.

Yes on 8 Sign Theft

How I Intend to Vote: The Statute Propositions

With the proposed constitutional amendments out of the way let's talk about Propositions 200 through 300.

Proposition 200: Pay Day Loans
No.
Look, I have no problems with the existence of pay day loan places. I believe that many are legitimate businesses that provide a useful services. And what other businesses have dared redevelop blighted street corners that were left vacant after our over-zealous environmental laws shut down so many local gas stations?

With that said, I'm still voting "no" on Prop 200. It is very technical, long, and complicated, and is precisely the type of issue that should be debated and refined in our legislature. Note to self: it's generally a good idea to just vote "no" on long, complicated ballot propositions.

Proposition 201: Home Warranties
No.
Like Prop 200, this gets a "no" vote because it is long and complicated. And it's funded by labor unions. And it's a bad idea.

Prop 200 purports to protect homeowners if they buy a home with defects. But homeowners are already protected by current Arizona law that says any time a defect is found in a house, homeowners simply notify the seller and provide them an opportunity to inspect and repair it before any lawsuits are filed. The current law also offers a process to resolve problems without expensive lawsuits.

This brilliant piece of satire made it into the Publicity Pamphlet (emphasis added):
Help increase litigation payouts by supporting Prop. 201
Coming from a family of trial lawyers, I was thrilled to see the Sheet Metal Union put Prop. 201 on the ballot. If you don't know, under current law if you sue a builder for an alleged construction defect and the claim turns out to be frivolous, the builder is eligible to recover reasonable attorney fees as awarded by the court. The problem with this provision is that it discourages large scale class action lawsuits against builders, which are needed to intimidate them into settling out of court.
But now with Prop. 201, home builders will no longer be eligible to recover court costs, meaning attorneys will be able to file as many lawsuits as they want with no fear of actually having to pay for the litigation. The result is that buffer claims, a much needed component to help expand the size and scope of construction defect lawsuits, can be included as a way to increase settlement payouts.
Some people try to give trial attorneys a bad name, but using the court process is a legitimate and smart way to make money. I believe that the legal process needs to utilized to its fullest extent, and that is why come November, please support Prop. 201.
Beau Flahart, Gilbert

Proposition 202: Facilitating Illegal Hiring
No. No. No.
Do not vote "yes" on this! It is a lie. It is touted as somehow fighting illegal immigration when it does exactly the opposite. Prop 202 creates a loophole in current law, allowing to employers to get away with hiring illegal workers by saying: "but we didn't know that he was illegal".

Fittingly, the Prop 202 campaign is funded by the same open-borders people who funded the Kevin Gibbons campaign to smear Russell Pearce. Remember the signs that read: "Kevin Gibbons, Protecting our Borders"? As though Gibbons would somehow do more to secure our borders than Pearce. The same kind of deception is being used to promote Prop 202.

Proposition 300: Legislators Salaries
Yes.
This is on the ballot every time yet it gets voted down every time. Look, this is not about whether or not our legislators deserve a raise. The lower the salaries, the harder it is for ordinary people to hold office. Being a legislator requires so much time that it's impossible to simultaneously hold a regular, full-time job. Voting for a raise in salary increases the pool of good candidates who are willing to run for and hold office in our state legislature.

How I Intend to Vote: The Constitutional Amendment Propositions

It's a long ballot so we'll do this in parts. These are my views only and don't even necessarily represent Marily's...but she still loves me anyway! :) And do I have to disclose that these are not endorsed by any candidate? At least I approve of this message. If you have any insights to share please leave a comment!

I'm sure most ya'll already know that the propositions in the 100's are constitutional amendments, the 200's are statutes placed on the ballot via the initiative process, and the 300's are referendum statutes (referred from the legislators to the voters for approval).

Proposition 100: Tax on Real Estate Sales
No.
Arizona does not have a sales tax on sales of homes so Prop 100 wouldn't actually change things as they currently stand. It would prevent the legislature, voters, or judges from imposing one in the future. Although I'm not in favor of a real estate sales tax I'm voting "no" on Prop 100 because I think we need to totally re-do our tax system and Prop 100 would limit our options in the future.

For example, there have been a number of ideas put forth that would do away with our current income tax system and replace it with, say, a consumption (sales) tax. If we were to totally reform our tax system, Prop 100 could get in the way.

Proposition 101: Health Care Choice
Yes.
This amendment simply states that you should always have the right to choose your own health care. Like, Prop 100 this is a preventative measure that does not change the way things are right now. But it really upsets those who like the Socialist idea of universal health care.

Opponents of Prop 101 give themselves away by saying in the publicity pamphlet that they oppose the measure because it would prohibit "a government backed universal health care plan". Another group by the name of Arizona Coalition for a State and National Health Plan opposes Prop 101. Why? Well clearly they want "a State and National Health Plan" where bureaucrats call the shots, whereas most folks would rather make their own choices.

To get info on how the governor is using illegal tactics to campaign against Prop 101 check this out.

Proposition 102: The Marriage Amendment
YES, YES, YES!
If you don't know how this will affect you watch this video produced by the California Marriage Amendment campaign, and this one that Marily posted earlier. Marily and I wrote about the Wirthlins' experience in our Publicity Pamphlet article.

I think it says a lot to consider how many opponents are resorting to theft, violence, and harassment to silence those of us who want to protect marriage. Most of us have already had our Yes on 102 yard signs stolen at least once or know friends who have been victims of theft. The "sign guy" at the campaign office (I don't know his official title but that's what we call him) says that they can't keep up with repairing or replacing the large signs that are being vandalized and stolen. If you were in California you might take a punch to the face for defending marriage; "Jose Nunez, 37, was brutally assaulted while waiting to distribute yard signs to other supporters of the initiative after church services at the St. Stanislaus Parish in Modesto."

Proposition 105: Majority Rules
Unsure.
Prop 105 makes it very difficult, almost impossible, to raise taxes in Arizona through a ballot proposition. That's a good thing, especially because businesses and other special interests have learned that it's often easier and cheaper to convince voters to give them tax money than to convince politicians to do so.

Consider Janet's T.I.M.E initiative that failed to get on the ballot this year. It would have raised sales taxes and then allowed the governor to hand pick favored contractors to do the special construction projects. Why didn't she do what most governors do and work with the legislature to pass a tax increase? Two reasons: 1) tax increases require a super majority of legislators; 2) experienced lawmakers would not likely be tricked into supporting something that allowed the governor to make sweetheart deals to her friends. But ordinary voters are easier to fool. Just put together some slick ads about how some proposition will be an economic engine, and pay for new fire stations, and provide pencils for school children and you've got a winning campaign.

Something that would make tax increases more difficult to pass--like Prop 105 does--would be very helpful in Arizona. My one concern is that the idea of counting a majority of all registered voters instead of a majority of those who actually vote would become accepted into other areas of legislation. In any case, I guarantee that you will annoy a lot of liberals in a big way if you vote "yes" on Prop 105.

Another Video

Maybe my favorite video yet! This one is in support of the California Marriage Amendment, proposition 8. And it's pretty short....



Check out PreservingMarriage.org for more videos like these.

Finally...a project

I have always considered myself somewhat crafty. Recently I realized I've been fooling myself. Because, you see, crafty people CRAFT. And it's been awhile.

My sister Bethany's nursery inspired me to make her a gift. Finally I had a good enough reason to make something. Here's how it went:

I found some cute pictures of little girls online and filled them in to make silhouettes. Some of the pictures looked better as silhouettes than others:

Ballerina seemed to loose her girl-next-door innocence once those lines and patterns were gone.

Here are the supplies for my project:

And here are the finished products:
I was going to have the pictures printed but in the end decided on cutting out then tracing then painting them right on the paper. The baby's room is going to be pink, red, and green with ladybugs, flowers, etc. Hopefully these will fit right in.

If you are interested, here are a couple of vintage clipart sites I found: ONE and TWO.

Where else can you find nice pictures like this

Socrates--------------------------------------------------------->

<----------------------------Camarina jellyfish

As well as beautiful things like these...

Big 10

I am a week late but do not let that fool you on our level of excitement that the boys finally have a cousin on Dad's side...

Carson Daniel Green came in on October 10th at a whopping 10 lbs, 1 oz. So, that's 10/10 and 10 lbs.

Photo by Danny Green

His dad, Danny, had the nickname in high school of 'Big 10' after his S-10 pickup. Even today he still has this on his license plate as well as uses it as his gaming persona.

Well, move over daddy, there's a new Big 10 under your roof.

Here's where I credit my brother-in-law Ryan because he was the smart one who connected the whole big 10, October 10th, 10 lbs thing that made this post so witty.

Plain English

This is a video about Proposition 8, the Marriage Amendment in California. Simple and clear.

How We Got Our New Home

Hello friends and family of Mark and Marily, most of you have probably seen the beautiful house that Mark and Marily purchased a few months ago. I had the honor and privilege of assisting them in purchasing their home that had been fully upgraded and remodeled for almost $20,000 less than the asking price, as well as negotiating in seller assistance towards their closing costs. If you have any questions and would like to receive free real estate advice, I'd be happy to help answer any questions you might have about the value of your home, how to buy a home in this difficult market, how to get financed, what is now needed to qualify for a loan etc. Please call me at anytime 480-326-7802, or email me at paulgreen@realtorpaulgreen.com. I'm never too busy to assist the friends of family of my favored clients Mark and Marily Smith.



Paul Green
Call Realty
Direct:480-326-7802
Fax:480-704-3165
paulgreen@realtorpaulgreen.com

This is Mark and Marily and we approve this message from our realtor and good friend, Paul Green.

Tasty Tuesday: Whole Wheat Kernel Pancakes

Because you knew you wanted the recipe even before you knew they were healthy....

Whole Wheat Kernel Pancakes

In blender, liquify four minutes:

• 1 cup milk


• 3/4 cup whole wheat kernels

While blender is still running add:

• 2 eggs


• 1/2 tsp salt


• 1 Tbsp honey or sugar


• 1 Tbsp oil or 4 Tbsp margarine


• 2 tsp baking powder

Add baking powder last and stop blender as soon as mixed. Pour from blender onto hot griddle.

We love this recipe--courtesy of Mark's mom. It's also a great way to use your wheat kernels without having to use a grinder. Enjoy!

Let's Pretend It's Autumn

Today has been a great day. I found out on Saturday night that Mark was going to be off work for Columbus Day. What a nice surprise. Who else celebrates Columbus Day? The small company he works for has gotten increasingly liberal concerning holidays. Though apparently they still tease him at work because on Veteran's Day a few years ago he was trying to get to work and the roads were closed around his office for a parade. He didn't try to figure out how to get through--he went home. Picked up the fam and we went to the parade. Everyone else was at work.

Today as a tribute to other parts of the country having fall, we went to Mother Nature's Farm. And what am I doing being so sarcastic? The weather has been beautiful. Here's what we did:

Here's the info if you live in town. And here's another cool site to find other farms with cool things to pick and enjoy.

(Psssst, Kathryn--Feel free to steal this info for your cool Mesa site. But only if you think it's cool enough.)

What's the Big Deal?

If we were more honest with ourselves, I think many of us would admit that with regards to the issue of same-sex marriage we have some questions. Mark and I have done lots of reading and researching for the last few years and I was finally feeling when I wrote this post that after maybe four years educating myself I'm actually getting a handle on this issue and I finally think that I can support my beliefs with arguments and facts.

It is a tricky issue. There is obviously a delicate balance in being kind and compassionate and yet standing up for your beliefs. I believe that most people, even those that are members of churches that actively oppose gay marriage, know that homosexuality is wrong and will support the marriage amendment, but they probably don't have much more of a standing than that. Maybe there is even an inner struggle--they know that homosexuality is wrong and they believe their church leaders, but they still have some questions that they can't quite answer.

That's where I come in. I am in no ways an expert on this subject, but I'd love the challenge to answer ANY and ALL questions about the issue of same-sex marriage, why we need a marriage amendment, etc. If you've ever heard an argument or question I'd love for the opportunity to answer it. I'd be happy to get questions from anyone--whether or not you've ever commented before--gay rights activists and all. Challenge me with a question even if you have your own great answer for it. I'll even turn off my comment moderating for this one. Ready, go!

Photo credit here.

A Lesson in Self Discipline

I have issues with self control. I am certain that I am a person who is predisposed to be an alcoholic or a drug-addict or an over-zealous-ten-cups-of-coffee-a-day addict. Fortunately, as a committed Mormon I have never tried any of these things. But I do seem to have an addictive personality--I can get addicted to all sorts of things that do nothing even to chemically alter my body. Like the Internet. Goodness. As soon as I get up and enter the common areas of our home I feel the pull of the computer. I have trained myself to not turn it on until after I have completed my morning routine which, when done perfectly, includes:

• Getting dressed and presentable


• Eating and feeding others breakfast


• Starting a load of laundry


• Emptying the clean dishes out of the dishwasher


• Getting the little guys into some clothing


• Making a to-do list for the day

So, I've been doing this for a few months now, disciplining myself to finish these tasks before I turn the computer on so I can check my email, check your blogs, and then move on with my day (in theory). But it's time to kick it up a notch. I really do spend too much time in front of this screen so I made some new rules. And I must admit, this is a big change from me, although no one else would really know that....

1. The computer cannot be turned on until NAPTIME--that's about 1-ish in the afternoon

Okay, yeah, just one rule....Is that okay? That's enough for now, I think.

Actually, if the boys were awake it would probably be better for the "this more often" to include them. But although it's more important to hold my children than it is to hold plastic kid-safe dishes, kid-safe dishes will have to do for now. Wish me luck.

Tasty Tuesday: Jambalaya Pasta

I really like this pasta recipe. Very easy, yummy, healthy, and more than your average marinara sauce.

Jambalaya Pasta

Serves 6
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 pound low fat smoked turkey sausage -- cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic --pressed
1 27 1/2-ounce jar spaghetti sauce -- your favorite
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
cayenne pepper -- to taste
12 ounces linguine -- uncooked

In a skillet over medium high heat, heat the olive oil. Add sausage; cook over medium heat until lightly browned, stirring frequently.
Add the chopped peppers, onion and garlic; cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently, or until tender.
Stir in pasta sauce and remaining ingredients except pasta. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cook 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Spoon sauce over hot pasta.

I've also done this recipe with sauteed mushrooms and zucchini in place of the sausage. Enjoy!

Recipe credit here. Photo credit here. (I know, this picture isn't exactly the recipe above, but looks close enough, right?)

Handbag Contest

There's a contest here to win a free handbag in case anyone'se interested! Just don't choose the silver one for hour 19 of the giveway--you'll ruin my chances :)

Tech Savvy

Well, I think maybe a couple of weeks ago I had typed "nog" into the address bar on the Internet and found noggin on the drop down menu, and I'm supposing this is how he figured this out...

The Socialite

Dallin is a socialite. He is only truly happy when he has someone to play with. Adam will do sometimes, but mostly he wants someone old enough to really interact with in a more verbal way. Once we went to our neighborhood park and happily noticed, "How nice, no one else is here." Dallin noticed too: "There are no friends here today!"

It's easy enough to be Dallin's friend--if you are alive and you'll play with and/or talk with him then you're in. We have seen him many times following after another kid at the playground as Dallin asked over and over again, "Hey, do you want to play with me?" And sadly, more often than not the other kid is just not as interested in making a quick friend.

Today we went to the park and I restrained myself from interfering as I watched this scene:

Dallin was found trailing after a group of little girls. They were playing princesses and Dallin was determined to convince them that what they really needed to make their game complete was a hero:

"I'm Flash! I'm going to rescue you!"

What Dallin might not have realized is that these were independent princesses and they didn't need rescuing. They weren't too interested in including a boy in their game. Eventually an older sister or friend--maybe 8 or 9 years old-- gathered the girls together and tried to help Dallin out:

"Girls. He is the prince. He is prince Eric for you--motioning to one girl--and he's well, whatever prince is in your movie for you."

She gave it a noble effort but still the princesses were apparently not looking for a hero in any form, be it Flash or be it Prince Eric.

Still, I hope the older girl's parents know what a sweet girl they have because I was tempted to search them out right then and there and let them know that I was touched that another child had cared about my little boy.

Marriage. It's Simple.

Here is a cute video supporting the marriage amendment. Enjoy it. Share it.


To get the code to embed this in your blog click where it says YouTube on the screen. This will take you to the You Tube page where you will find the code on the right side. You can paste this into your "Edit Html" box when you're creating a new post.

I Heart Mesa

I found this great new blog called I Heart Mesa. If you live in Mesa go check it out--it's a great spot for sharing local events and other ideas meant for AZ folks. Plus, you can enter their contest to win $25.

What We've Been Doing

I didn't think there was anything to write about until I uploaded some pictures from this last week. Maybe life's not as boring as I thought. Afterall,

Dallin made this:

Need a hint? It's a puzzle. On Monday he scribbled a picture and cut it into pieces and stored his surprise in a cereal box until Family Home Evening. It pretty much took the whole family the whole evening to put that thing together. Maybe that's why we took pictures, not just because we were proud of Dallin, but we were also proud of ourselves for finally completing it. And no I don't wear that sticker all the time, we'd just gotten back from passing out brochures at a Constitution Week event. Have you done anything to support marriage lately?

We hosted Joy School. I suppose I never posted about what we decided for Dallin's preschool. Well, we decided not to do preschool but then we ended up grouping up with a few other moms to rotate doing Joy School. I really love the program because it's based on the idea that children don't necessarily need to "get ahead" in academics in the preschool years--instead we spend our time in joy school teaching values: social skills, discipline, making goals, respecting our bodies, etc. Love, love, love it. Here they are "painting" with pudding--we were using our five senses....especially taste.

We went to the zoo.

Three little boys and two sisters--one of them pregnant (that would be Bethany)--braved the crowds at the zoo. We had a great time. I think the boys enjoyed it too.

Overall, a successful week. Mark might call any week successful if it includes a Sunday nap on the couch. Precious.

Oh, could you do me a favor and not tell Mark that I posted a picture of him with his stuffed duck Snuggles? Thanks.