Oh Dear!!

I am showing off another painting by my friend, Sharon Guinn. Lucky me, I have permission to show her work and as I was looking for a picture to start my blog this morning and this one popped up reminding me of the current activities in our world. The political arena is fraught with personal animosity and the ego battles continue, even though the American people are suffering because of the loss of jobs. Each and everyone of us is touched by the upheaval in our world and either have a family member or know of someone that is out of work and struggling. The figures thrown about these days are mind boggling for someone who grew up in the Depression and worked hard to earn a pay check when the going hourly rate was fifty cents an hour. My how times changed and how the houses got bigger, the cars more compact and more expensive and it took two to go out to work to pay for all of it. Like the small chicken laying a huge egg which was bound to crack, we see the zig-zag lines spreading.



It was mind boggling yesterday to see former President Bill Clinton take over the podium as our current president had invited him to discuss the current problems and asked him to say 'a few' words at the Press Conference. Clinton did a remarkable job of telling a room full of reporters, and us, who were listening in on the news program, his thoughts on the current problems and left us with the knowledge that our current president does not have the experience needed to hold this job. Now we know why he has all those Czars, but they don't seem to have much experience either. It is time for all of us to pay much more attention to the representatives we voted into office. They seem to think throwing 'pork' into the pending bills is the right thing to do, a ploy to stop the current bill from passing, thus delaying the momentum needed to get on with our lives. I wonder if they ever think that if we go bankrupt they will suffer a loss of salary too.



Politics aside, I had a telephone Christmas card last evening from an old friend in Nevada. He and his wife and a small group of us enjoyed many years of working hard for the National Association of Retired Federal Employees (NARFE) . Sad to say the Chapter is slowly going down hill as the members are getting older and it is difficult to get anyone to take on the responsibilities of the offices. It was fun to reminisce about the old days and the good times we had putting on the big salmon dinners and getting out the news letter, and sad to hear of the loss of so many of our members. He delighted in telling me that I was a very old lady, this coming from a man who is two years older and almost a ninead, is that what you call those in their nineties? It was the best Christmas Card I received all season and I am still smiling this morning . . . yep, friends make the world go round!



So today, Saturday, your day to relax and catch up with yourself, check the newspaper and see what big ads are out there. Fred Meyers is having a huge sale from seven a.m. to one p.m. today and I may walk up later, if it is not pouring rain, and see what I need to finish off my Christmas list. How about you? Have you checked your list? Well, stop dragging your feet and get out there and pick up a little Christmas spirit. You know, 'you better watch out, you better not cry, Santa Claus is coming to town' . . . Hugs to all.