little woman

we might have gone to a Labyrinth sing-along tonight…

not a bad jareth…

and then come home to watch the dark crystal…

hehe

Mary sent this to me today… Made me smile

Little Nutbrown Hare, who was going to bed, held on tight to Big Nutbrown Hare’s very long ears. He wanted to be sure that Big Nutbrown Hare was listening.
“Guess how much I love you,” he said.
“Oh, I don’t think I could guess that,” said Big Nutbrown Hare.
“This much,” said Little Nutbrown Hare, stretching out his arms as wide as they could go.
Big Nutbrown Hare had even longer arms. “But I love YOU this much,” he said.
Hmm, that is a lot, thought Little Nutbrown Hare.
“I love you as high as I can reach.” said Little Nutbrown Hare.
“I love you as high as I can reach,” said Big Nutbrown Hare.
That is quite high, thought Little Nutbrown Hare. I wish I had arms like that.
Then Little Nutbrown Hare had a good idea. He tumbled upside down and reached up the tree trunk with his feet.
“I love you all the way up to my toes!” he said.
“And I love you all the way up to your toes,” said Big Nutbrown Hare, swinging him up over his head.
“I love you as high as I can HOP!” laughed Little Nutbrown Hare, bouncing up and down.
“But I love you as high as I can hop,” smiled Big Nutbrown Hare - and he hopped so high that his ears touched the branches above.
That’s good hopping, thought Little Nutbrown Hare. I wish I could hop like that.
“I love you all the way down the lane as far as the river,” cried Little Nutbrown Hare.
“I love you across the river and over the hills,” said Big Nutbrown Hare.
That’s very far, thought Little Nutbrown Hare. He was almost too sleepy to think any more. Then he looked beyond the thorn bushes, out into the big dark night. Nothing could be further than the sky.
“I love you right up to the MOON,” he said, and closed his eyes.
“Oh, that’s far,” said Big Nutbrown Hare. “That is very, very far.”
Big Nutbrown Hare settled Little Nutbrown Hare into his bed of leaves. He leaned over and kissed him good night.
Then he lay down close by and whispered with a smile, “I love you right up to the moon - AND BACK.”

BARACK OBAMA AND JOE BIDEN: CHAMPIONS FOR ARTS AND CULTURE
Our nation’s creativity has filled the world’s libraries, museums, recital halls, movie houses, and marketplaces with works of genius. The arts embody the American spirit of self-definition. As the author of two best-selling books – Dreams from My Father and The Audacity of Hope – Barack Obama uniquely appreciates the role and value of creative expression.
A PLATFORM IN SUPPORT OF THE ARTS
Reinvest in Arts Education: To remain competitive in the global economy, America needs to reinvigorate the
kind of creativity and innovation that has made this country great. To do so, we must nourish our children’s
creative skills. In addition to giving our children the science and math skills they need to compete in the new global context, we should also encourage the ability to think creatively that comes from a meaningful arts education. Unfortunately, many school districts are cutting instructional time for art and music education.

Barack Obama and Joe Biden believe that the arts should be a central part of effective teaching and learning.
The Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts recently said “The purpose of arts education is not to
produce more artists, though that is a byproduct. The real purpose of arts education is to create complete human beings capable of leading successful and productive lives in a free society.” To support greater arts education, Obama will:

• Expand Public/Private Partnerships Between Schools and Arts Organizations: Barack Obama andJoe Biden will increase resources for the U.S. Department of Education’s Arts Education ModelDevelopment and Dissemination Grants, which develop public/private partnerships between schools andarts organizations. They will also engage the foundation and corporate community to increase supportfor public/private partnerships.

• Create an Artist Corps: Barack Obama and Joe Biden support the creation of an “Artists Corps” ofyoung artists trained to work in low-income schools and their communities. Studies in Chicago have demonstrated that test scores improved faster for students enrolled in low-income schools that link artsacross the curriculum than scores for students in schools lacking such programs.

• Publicly Champion the Importance of Arts Education: As president, Barack Obama will use thebully pulpit and the example he will set in the White House to promote the importance of arts and arts education in America. Not only is arts education indispensable for success in a rapidly changing, high skill, information economy, but studies show that arts education raises test scores in other subject areas as well.

• Support Increased Funding for the NEA: Over the last 15 years, government funding for the NationalEndowment for the Arts has been slashed from $175 million annually in 1992 to $125 million today. Barack Obama and Joe Biden support increased funding for the NEA, the support of which enriches schools and neighborhoods all across the nation and helps to promote the economic development of countless communities.

• Promote Cultural Diplomacy: American artists, performers and thinkers – representing our values and ideals– can inspire people both at home and all over the world. Through efforts like that of the United States Information Agency, America’s cultural leaders were deployed around the world during the Cold War as artistic ambassadors and helped win the war of ideas by demonstrating to the world the promise of America. Artists can be utilized again to help us win the war of ideas against Islamic extremism. Unfortunately, our resources for cultural diplomacy are at their lowest level in a decade. Barack Obama and Joe Biden will work to reverse this trend and improve and expand public-private partnerships to expand cultural and arts exchanges throughout the world.

• Attract Foreign Talent: The flipside to promoting American arts and culture abroad is welcoming members of the foreign arts community to America. Opening America’s doors to students and professional artists provides the kind of two-way cultural understanding that can break down the barriers that feed hatred and fear. As America tightened visa restrictions after 9/11, the world’s most talented students and artists, who used to come here, went elsewhere. Barack Obama and Joe Biden will streamline the visa process to return America to its rightful place as the world’s top destination for artists and art students.

• Provide Health Care to Artists: Finding affordable health coverage has often been one of the most vexing obstacles for artists and those in the creative community. Since many artists work independently or have nontraditional employment relationships, employer-based coverage is unavailable and individual policies are financially out of reach. The Obama-Biden plan will provide all Americans with quality, affordable health care. Their plan includes the creation of a new public program that will allow individuals and small businesses to buy affordable health care similar to that available to federal employees. Their plan also creates a National Health Insurance Exchange to reform the private insurance market and allow Americans to enroll in participating private plans, which would have to provide comprehensive benefits, issue every applicant a policy, and charge fair and stable premiums. For those who still cannot afford coverage, the government will provide a subsidy. His health plan will lower costs for the typical American family by up to $2,500 per year.

• Ensure Tax Fairness for Artists: Barack Obama supports the Artist-Museum Partnership Act, introduced by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT). The Act amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow artists to deduct the fair market value of their work, rather than just the costs of the materials, when they make charitable contributions.

Paid for by Obama for America
Printed in House

oh the times they are a changin…

let us compare ‘04 to ‘08

• 2004: Bush –  61%,   4,526,917 votes
  Kerry –  38%    2,832,704 votes
• 2008: McCain — 55.2%   4,408,558 votes
  Obama — 43.2%   3,498,149 votes

not bad…

we gained 1, maybe 2 TX Senate Seats: Wendy Davis in FW and maybe Chris Bell in Houston

we gained 3, maybe 4, State House seats…

Incumbent Democrats Who Lost - 3 Seats

• HD-17: Donnie Dippel (54-42.8) — open seat
• HD-32: Juan Garcia (50.1-46.8)
• HD-97: Rep. Dan Barrett (55.3 - 42.8)

Challenge Democrats Who Won - 6 Seats

• HD-52: Diana Maldonado wins by 848 votes.
• HD-78: Joe Moody wins (51-45)
• HD-96: Chris Turner wins (55-43)
• HD 101: Robert Miklos wins by 527 votes.
• HD 102: Carol Kent wins (53-47)
• HD 133: Kristi Thibaut wins by 514 votes.

The “Limbo Seat” — Romano vs. Harper-Brown

• Rep. Linda Harper-Brown (R) leads Bob Romano by 25 votes; provisional ballots and a recount postpone definitive close of race. IF IT FALLS TO ROMANO THIS WOULD MAKE THE TEXAS HOUSE A 75 TO 75 TIE!

Thanks to BOR for the info…

Obama won last night….

Also, Fort Worth has a new Dem female state senator, Wendy Davis. This is so amazing!!

ALSO, Chris Bell is in a run-off for state senate seat 17…

oh happy day!

From Quorum Report

– In the Texas Senate, Democrats have gained one seat and are in a runoff for a second seat. With all precincts now counted, former Fort Worth Councilwoman Wendy Davis has defeated Sen. Kim Brimer (R-Fort Worth) by nearly 7,000 seats for the SD 10 seat.

Democrat Chris Bell, meanwhile, was the leading vote-getter in the SD 17 special election, garnering 38.4 percent of the vote with three precincts still outstanding. He will be joined by Republican Joan Huffman in a runoff. She finished second with 26.2 percent of the vote. Stalking horse candidate Stephanie Simmons came in third with 13.8 percent.

– According to the Secretary of State’s Web site, HD 105 Rep. Linda Harper-Brown (R-Irving) has squeaked out a 25-vote victory over underfunded challenger Bob Romano. As we wrote earlier in the evening, provisional votes in this race will be closely scrutinized.

Paul just got back from backpacking the Grand Canyon… here are his pics!

what a cutie…

So when Halloween comes around I get so obsessed with pumpkins… I LOVE to carve pumpkins and like to try recipes with pumpkin seeds… This is what I have accomplished so far this year… and we may even have one more!

Everybody’s favorite Presidential candidate

This is on the same pumpkin but to the side…

And then last night I carved a dragon!

It cast the most beautiful shadow on the ceiling…

Paul may be too sore from backpacking the Grand Canyon to carve his this year… I found a Darth Vader pattern that I might try

Check out Halloween 2007…

This was my pirate ship… it was pre-digital camera… this was taken with a cell phone… bleh

And this was Paul’s… It took him several hours but it was awwwwwwwsome

Grapes of Wrath
by John Steinbeck
Published 1939
Fiction

Man i hope it doesn’t come to this…

The odd numbered chapters are more commentary on the lives of those pushed west out of the Dust Bowl. The story of the Joads make that plight more personal.

Obviously this work has been banned and caused much controversy. The biggest protesters were the Associated Farmers of California for the way Californian farmers were depicted as having treated the people escaping to California.

He got the title from some lyrics of the Battle Hymn of the Republic…

Special thanks to Wikipedia

These lyrics refer, in turn, to the biblical passage Revelation 14:19-20, an apocalyptic appeal to divine justice and deliverance from oppression in the final judgment.

And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.

so many posts….

so I found my next knitting project… after the Slytherin scarf, 2 baby blankets, and i finish the 2 thigh-high leg warmers for Mary and the Gryffindor scar (aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!)

and THEN…

also, sonny already has a halloween costume for this year but next year….

amazing!!!