This video is an interview with T. Boone Pickens. He is talking about our Energy Crisis! When I listen to him I am so encouraged. The most encouraging part of this conversation, in my opinion, is that Obama's administration has been talking to him about his ideas! America is looking for leadership. What a concept to believe we will reduce our dependence on oil from the Mideast. But Obama and T. Boone are saying that in 10 years we will eliminate that dependence! That is exciting!!
Grandparents of America, unite! We are the leadership. Let us use all of our resources and ingenuity to insure this happens.
Papa Frank with Alex & Granbecks and below with Frank, Jr. & William
Okay, how can we do this? Papa Frank (my husband) was once called "the Gas Man"! (And, no Paul, not because he had gas! lol) He worked back in the '80's on finding more energy efficient ways to utilize our natural gas. Since that time, he has worked for several different companies as a Design Engineer for combustion gas: Coleman gas lamps and cooktops, Frigidaire for gas stoves, State Industries for hot water heaters, and currently Pentair Pools & Spas designing gas pool heaters. He has some pretty great ideas about utilizing energy saving designs for every product he designs. We have some fun discussions about how we could improve the use of natural resources. (I know, pretty geeky!) For example he has a design for using animal waste (possibly along with other garbage and organic waste) and converting it into gas (well, maybe enough for a grill or patio light). Papa Frank calls this an anaerobic digester http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anaerobic_digestion So, I have been bugging him to design a system to use the dog poop everyone picks up this day and age! When we lived in an apartment they provided us with little plastic "poop" bags for our dog Pete's poop (pretty much assuring that it will be preserved for centuries!) and special recepticals to place the bags into.
Besides picking up dog poop, we also clean out our cat Shadow's litter box--just another energy source! Currently all this pooper-scoopered power pebbles are being placed mostly in hard to recycle plastic bags and sent off to landfills with all the other trash. Papa Frank tells me that it takes alot of money to create a prototype. So... if any of you are interested in helping develop the Pooper-Scooper Waste Converter, send money, not poop!
Happy Birthday, Michelle. Twenty-eight years ago, November 11, 1980, I got awakened at 5 A.M. I was not really having strong contractions, but I somehow knew you were coming very soon! I had taught school that fall and Dr. Warren told me to arrange for a sub in my 6th grade classroom at North Ridge Middle School about 3 weeks before that day. So, I had been ready for awhile! I kept telling you in my belly, that we could be taking great fall walks and enjoying each other's company...but you were not ready, until YOU were ready! Anyway, on that day I got up and went potty, called Grandma, of course, and she came over to the house. She said maybe we should go to the hospital, but I told her I wanted to shower first. So, I did my full routine in those days: showered, shaved my legs after all the Dr. & nurses were going to see my legs!), blow dried my hair, used my hot rollers to get that Farah Fawcett hairdo, and then woke up your dad! He grumbled sleepily and said, "You can't have the baby today! It is my day off!" It was Veteran's Day. I explained to him that I was having contractions, that mom was there, and I had talked to the Dr. and to Aunt Christi who was my Lamaze coach and that everyone thouhgt I should head to the hospital. It was about 9 A.M. by the time he rolled out of bed and threw on his jeans. I told him to shower but he said that we would not be staying at the hospital so he could shower when WE got back home. He drove me to Lake View Memorial Hospital, now USMC, Logan St. and my mom followed us. They admitted me and took me to a "birthing room" upstairs. I was planning to have you in the birthing room instead of the delivery room. It was the "cool, calm, & relaxing" way to have a baby according to the Lamaze teachers. Mom stayed with me and your dad said he needed a shower so he was going home but would be back. Uncle John brought Aunt Christi to the hospital so she could coach me with my breathing. I was just walking around the room and talking to everyone. The nurse came in and checked me from time to time. Then about 11 A.M. she "prepped me" to have a baby! My water had not broken, but I was dialating and she assured me that a baby was on its way. Dr. Warren showed up about 12:15 P.M. and checked me. She said, "Why don't we go into the delivery room instead of in here?" She explained that all the equipment was already there and it would be easier. By this time, I had started having pretty hard labor pains and there was an overflow of births that day! I kept hearing newborn babies crying. I kept telling people it was my turn to have my baby, so let's get on with it! We went to the delivery room and still no daddy! We had called home but there was no answer. Of course, by that time, I was not planning on waiting for anyone! And it was not your dad's plan ever to join us in the delivery room, so it was okay. Once in the room, Dr. Warren broke my water and was ready for me to push with my next contraction. Within a few minutes, there you were! They laid you on my stomach while they finished up. And you looked at me with those beautiful blue eyes. It was love at first site. You were gorgeous! You weighed 8 lbs. 1 oz. and were 21 inches long. They took you away from me, much to my dismay and gave you a bath. They used were using what looked like a scrub brush to me! And you were screaming! I said, "Are you hurting her?" And they said they need to get you all cleaned up. They swaddled you and handed you back to me. Aunt Christi had been wonderful in helping me and she and I were teary eyed by this point. As they wheeled us out there was your Grandma! She thought you were beautiful. Then they informed me that they were so crowded, they did not have a bed for me right then! Good ole Danville Hospitals! They took you to the nursery so Dr. Warren could check you over good and they could draw blood, etc. But before I let them take you, I said, "How will you know she is mine? There are too many babies in there!" They showed me how your baby bracelet number matched mine on my wrist, so I was convinced. Pretty shortly they found a room for me and your dad showed up. He said he had stopped at the nursery and they had shown you the baby, "You done good!" (That was actually a cute thing to say, because it was a little saying from a popular TV show at the time.) Then he immediately wanted to know your name. I asked him where he had been and he said, "Well, I had to shower and then I called Andy and Mary and they took me to lunch. Andy is wanting the name right now for the insurance!" I handed him a list with names like Natasha, Paige, Lauren, Haley...and one other that I honestly cannot remember. He looked at the list and said, "You realize this child has to live with this name for the rest of her life? These names are horrible! I told him that I liked them and that he should choose one, but he was not happy with any of them. Grandma called about then because she had gone home by then and suggested, "Why not, Michelle? You have always liked the name Michelle." So, I said that to your dad and he said, "Okay, Michelle Louise." When I asked where he got Louise, he said. "Louise goes with Michelle." I was pretty weak, tired, hungry and totally in love by that point and so there it was, Michelle Louise. You were so precious. Perfect in everyway! I loved everything about you. And I still do! 
HAPPY HALLOWEEN, EVERYBODY! Here is a little video I put together to wish you all a fun-filled Halloween. Michelle is having all Jacob's friends over on Thursday for a Costume Party, so I cannot wait to see all of the little trick or treaters!
I was watching this video of Colin Powell today(see below) and found it pretty moving. When I was young, we used to say that America is a "melting pot". We meant that people come to this country and immediately tried to assimilate into the culture. I think if we study each of the groups of people who have come into America, the Germans, the Irish, any of the Europeans...that they tried to hold onto their culture as long as they could. They did not melt into the pot! Now the expression that is used in textbooks and classrooms in describing the United States is usually something like a "Tossed Salad". Immigrants, by choice and by coersion moved into the same neighborhoods, worshipped at the same churches and spoke the same language. They sought the comfort of the familiar! When I have been outside this country, I am comforted by hearing another American voice in the crowd. It is human nature. But, the immigrants who build lives for themselves here all think of themselves as Americans! Grandparents try to hold onto the traditions and cultural norms of their past. That too is normal and human nature. The children are excited to learn and experience their world. They look forward to making a difference in their lives and the lives of the future generations. They came and still come to America to make better lives for themselves. They are different ingredients mixed in our "Tossed Salad" of humanity. I guess it is also our human nature that does not accept or understand "new people". Why do they come here? They are taking American jobs away from us! We don't need anymore people in this country! Why don't they at least try to fit in? With the economy so poor, how can our government still allow immigrants to come in and give them citizenship? It is complex, but as Christians I think our attitude should be to recognize them all as children of God. God loves them. He has told us that the greatest commandment is to "Love our neighbor as we love ourselves." That is the hard part. Sometimes it is hard enough just to love ourselves, let alone someone who is seems so different from us. Multiculturalism has been criticized for undermining the current culture and in some ways it may do that. Then you see hear about this young man and so many throughout our history who are very proud of their family's heritage, but love America to the death. So, again it is a complex issue that does need to be examined and checked constantly. But I do think in all ways we must seek the truth and conduct our own lives in ways that show love and compassion toward one another. I have seen that this current political race can show the true colors of hate and prejudice even within families. Let's step up and be bigger than the issues. Let's work together and solve the problems at hand. I am intelligent enough to know that we are not all going to agree on all issues, but let us never shut down the conversation or the debate. Instead let us envelope ourselves in it and cherish the rights we have to agree to disagree. Last Sunday our Pastor spoke about Matthew 22:15-22. The Pharisees were trying to trick Jesus asking Him if it were wrong to pay taxes to Caesar, but He had them bring a coin and asked them, "Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription? Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." It made me think, we should be able to share and discuss politics(Caesar's), but let us always remember that when we address each other personally to do it in love(God). Because when this race is over, our hope will be in how we can all work together. Candidates will come and go, but family is forever (even though we don't get to choose them!) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3QWB1iAYcs
Papa Frank with Alex & Granbecks and below with Frank, Jr. & William
