A New Poll!

I'm becoming addicted to putting polls on my blog, and so I added a new one in today. My first completely-controversial poll is HERE!!!!

With the blooming relationship between my friends Andrea & Whitney, I've been thinking more about the issue of gay marriage, and I'd like to hear your opinions & arguements. So, feel free to cast your vote on the top right corner of my blog, and discuss it in the comments section.

Please keep your discussions civil, and have fun! :)

Randomness

I have absolutely nothing deep or soul-searching to say today, so I thought I'd just tell you what's going on in my little world here:

-Tonight I'm going to my friend Sherwood's birthday party! She's turning 21... should I bring a mojito? (I'm already bringing deviled eggs.)

-Right now I have "Rock Star" by Nickleback stuck in my head... every time I flipped the radio station on my road trip back from Massachusets, that song was on! It's also the favorite song of M, my unofficially-adopted-daughter. I haven't talked to M in a week or so... I should call her tonight.

-I've been looking for Christian blogs that contain deep thoughts but not annoying preaching... DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD THEY ARE TO FIND?! Perhaps the ones who don't preach are like me... just posting about their daily lives, and not joining "Christian" blog rings and things? Probably. I think if I joined any, I'd be kicked out... either for chronicly talking about mojitos, or for my political ideas.

-I'm reading V for Vendetta in novel form, and can't wait to finish it and read the original comic that the novel & movie are based on!

-I have been bloghopping like CRAZY this week, leaving comment love all around, and only ONE person has commented here on my blog! What's up with that? *sad sniffle* Doesn't anyone out there wanna read me?

-I am still hard at work making collaged projects. At the moment, I'm cutting out cool pictures... then I will organize them by color and theme, and then all kinds of crazy cool creating will begin! Wooo hooooo!!!!! I've also joined two swaps... one is a itty-bitty-book swap, and one is a quilt swap. I have GOT to get some more done on those this week.

-Our taxes are done, and waiting to be filed this weekend! Well, James & I's are. My moms? Well, I took one look at her inch-thick folder of papers, and decided I would need a large space and a LOT of time to get her stuff done. Also, I may need a mojito. Or two.

Life IS a Circle

And what goes around DOES come around.

See, for example, what happened to my cousins... who didn't show up to my bridal shower, wedding, or even send a card of congratulations. I was very hurt by this, as almost no one from my dad's family bothered to come to my wedding.

A part of me is sad, because I have happy memories of working for them in the now-burnt-down schoolhouse... making yummy maple cookies, soup beans, and chicken & noodles... listening to Archie play his fiddle outside as my little cousins danced...

But most of me is feeling warm and fuzzy, cuz "It couldn't happen to a nicer person!" Bwahahahahaha! Serves ya right!

What Spice Are You?

You Are Cumin

You are warm, unique, and pretty dominant. It's also pretty likely that you smoke or like fire. You are energetic and intense. You definitely stimulate people.

What Spice Are You?

(I find this interesting, because I DO like fire... during my teenage years I was a complete pyro in fact! I'm also very energetic and intense!)

Fortune Cookie Says:

"Place special emphasis on old friendship."

(Yesterday we had Chinese food for lunch, and I received this fortune. I taped it to my desk, as a reminder to myself.)

I want to give a special shout-out today to my bloggin' budd Jen. Jen has been there for me 200%, even getting on MSN messenger to chat with me when she knew I needed a friendly ear. When my doctor first prescribed me anti-depressants for my migranes, she was here to give me advice. When I was grieving after my dad's death, she was here to comfort me. When I started displaying artistic creations online, she was here to support and encourage me.

Thanks Jen... YOU ROCK!!!!!!!!

The Sparkle

Yesterday after church, James & I stopped at our local Denny's to grab some breakfast-for-lunch... a rare treat for us. We went into the insanely-packed restaurant, and were escorted to the only empty table in the room. We happily ordered our food, as we listened to the sounds of total chaos around us. Babies were crying, silverware was clanking, and every once in a while we'd hear someone shouting. At first, I thought she was shouting "FOUR!" and James thought she was shouting "WHORE!" lol Eventually, we noticed that the shout came whenever one of the workers opened the DOOR, and realized that's what she was shouting. *giggle*


The waitress was looking a bit worse for the wear... running this way and that, handing out food, refilling drinks, passing out checks... and forgetting to take our order for quite some time. I had some knitting with me though, so we patiently chatted as I knit. She did take our order eventually, and lo and behold, our appetizers arrived pretty quickly... and EXTREMELY fresh. So hot they almost burnt me... *happy sigh* The food was devine, and we happily chomped away.

I'd noticed a pretty large bruise on the waitress's chin, and couldn't help wondering what the heck had happened. Finally, about the time she was bringing us our check, I got my courage up and asked about the bruise. Turns out that our lovely middle-aged waitress had been in a FIGHT! That cracked me up a little... James asked her why she'd done it, and she grinned and said "it seemed like a good idea at the time." hehe. I asked if she had won, and she said she hadn't. :( Poor waitress.

What really got me about the experience was how tired and drawn she had looked as she rushed around, doing her job... and how AMAZINGLY different her face was when I asked about her bruise. She smiled, and her eyes sparkled brightly... simply because I had asked her about HER.

I felt a lump in my throat... how amazing that a few words and being conscious that she was a fellow human being could make such a difference.

My question for you all today, is:

What puts a sparkle in YOUR eyes?

Snow - A Haiku

The sun shines brightly
Snow melts into cool waters
Feeding spring flowers

Today, in spite of the cold air, the sun was shining brightly. I couldn't resist taking a pic or two... the others didn't turn out too well, but this was just perfect!

Skillet Meals?

Today I gave my hubby two options for supper: A.) Smoked sausage, fried eggs, and french fries. B.) A skillet meal made of sausage, eggs, and tater tots. (Yes, I do know that both of these meals are a tad unhealthy... and have significantly low amounts of fruits and veggies. We're working on that.) He chose option B and I happily went to work... I baked tater tots until crispy for the bottom layer, then scrambled eggs for the middle layer, and cooked slices of smoked sausage for the top layer. I covered it all in a little cheese... James not only ate ALL of his food, but over half of mine!!


He told me that he loved the skillet meals I make, and not just because he's a good husband and that's what he's supposed to say lol!! I only used about 2/3 of the smoked sausage, so guess what I did with the rest? Another skillet for him for his breakfast! This time I took the smoked sausage and one can of mushrooms, and diced them up. I put them in the skillet along with a dozen eggs, and 7 drops of habenero hot sauce. I scrambled the mixture and turned on the heat... scrambled them just like you scramble regular eggs. When they were done, I tossed cheese on the top, and... VOILA!

A skillet meal! This is the third skillet meal I've made for him, and we both absolutely love them. My question for today is:

Have you tried making a skillet meal? Which combos have you liked?

Let's share our recipes here!

Shame

One thing I've noticed about blogging, is that it shows the best facets of me, while the worst facets stay safely hidden away. This bothers me a little.


If any of you meet me outside of my blog, maybe you'll be disappointed to know I have bad facets?


And if I don't tell you how I deal with the bad in me, maybe you'll feel alone as you deal with the bad in you. That would be sad, right? So I will post some thoughts on shame on here today.

Coming from an emotionally abusive home life, I struggle a lot with feelings of shame. I was ashamed that I wasn't taught proper hygene as a child, and was considered the "dirty kid." I was ashamed of my father, who wore velcro tennis shoes, worked as a mechanic, and didn't bathe regularly either. I was ashamed of being ashamed of my dad, who I loved. Basically? I was ashamed of myself and everything about me.

Now, there is something I have to confess. Remember in October, how our Ohana split up? There was a lot behind the scenes that I didn't share, because the issues were so complex. I wasn't sure how to tell the truth, without being labeled either "homophobic & overly Christiany" or "unspiritual & morally bankrupt". Because really, I don't think I'm either of those... but I worry, a lot, about you all thinking either of those things. So I hide anything relating to religious views or things that have even a remote chance of making you think less of me. But today, I'm tired of that... sooo... here is the whole deal.

I killed the Ohana.

When the Ohana started to feud, I basically had to choose sides. Kim was my best friend, and A had hurt her. A & S had hurt Kim & Brit, and Brit pushed me a bit to take her side and stand up for her. A & S had started acting wierd... suddenly A had went from very social and preachy, to not talking to us at all. S, however, was still her same old self. When I WAS around A, she started acting wierder... God had been telling her to get tattoos, she said mean things about Brit, etc... VERY wierd. (Brit was originally brought into the Ohana by A...)

What did I do? Brit and I confronted A, asking her what was going on and why she was changing. She wouldn't tell us, said there was nothing wrong, and passed the phone to S. Poor S. S confessed that she was in love with A, and the conversation became about their lesbian relationship. Which is not what we were upset about. *sigh* Brit said some things toward S that I should NOT have sat back and listened to. By the time the conversation was done, we had split away from each other, and no one was talking anymore.

A came over one time later, and I was sorta cold toward her... I didn't make her feel welcome, or let her know that I missed her. I remembered that Brit & I had decided together not to be around them until they had changed (changed as in not being crappy friends... not as in gone straight.). I made A feel unwelcome in my house, and of that, more than anything, I'm deeply ashamed.

If I could do it all over again... I'd make it clearer why we were mad. "A, You hurt Kim. You hurt Brit. You've stopped being our friend. S, you attempted suicide and blamed it on me." I'd also make it clearer what we were NOT mad about. "I'm not mad that you are lesbians. I AM worried that your 2 year old is being left alone with your suicidal girlfriend, who you have only known for 3 weeks. This is not seeming to be a healthy relationship at all."

And most of all? I'm ashamed that I didn't tell her that we loved and missed the "Old A", who loved hanging out with us, made us laugh, preached to us, made random sexual comments, and just generally rocked... and that we wanted her back. Instead, I think we pushed her away and made her feel like there was no hope of us ever loving her again.

We've reconciled a bit... I sent an apology to A, since she's the one that I hurt the most. I mainly listened to Brit hurting S, which I also suck for. But a few nights ago (after A got the apology) A & S came over... we chatted, burst into a random song like in the old days, and talked about their plans for the future... S seems totally okay with me, but A is still very hurt and angry. With good reason, obviously.

I don't know what the future holds for us... A & S plan to move several states away in a month. I doubt that Kim will ever trust A again. S and I may never trust Brit again. (If I even talk to her again... she has moved, and hasn't been heard from in a month or so.) I don't know if we will ever be an Ohana again... but I refuse to hide in shame for my part in killing the Ohana anymore. I'm a human, I make sucky mistakes sometimes, and sometimes I just plain suck.

Life - Some Thoughts

Today is a slow-moving Tuesday, the perfect time to be quiet and reflect.


I found these questions on Tammy V's site... and decided they would be just the thing to start my week.


What is perfect in your life?
-Perfect. Mmm. Perfect is a strong word. I don't think life is ever truly perfect... but how about we say "really nice"? Some really nice things in my life: I'm able to focus on my artistic endeavors a lot more. I'm learning to feel more secure in James's love, and learning how to show him my love. We're trying to learn how to put God into our marriage, and although both of us are pretty clueless, it'll be a fun trial-and-error thing. Also, I'm a newlywed, so I have to be honest and tell you... Sex is also VERY nice. (Am I allowed to say that word on my blog? LOL)

What about life is important to you?
-FREEDOM! I love having the freedom to be myself, to express myself, and to follow my dreams...
-Making a difference in the life of others.

What is your supreme or divine purpose for this life?
-Umm... I'd have to say that my purpose seems to be to love people that everyone else has given up on, and not give up on them.

If you could create a perfect life for yourself, what would it look like?
-NO MORE OFFICE WORK!!! I would be able to make my living selling art, with friends and family joining the fun & profits... be able to volunteer to work with kids again, and enjoy time with my hubby just hanging out. Ooooohhhhhh and I could TRAVEL selling my art... I love travel!

What would you be doing in your life if you knew you absolutely could not fail?
-I'd definately quit my job to totally focus on creating art.

What do you really want to be doing with your life?
-I'd like to be helping more people... volunteering, or just chatting with people who need a listening ear.


If you didn't have to work for a living what would you love to do.
-TRAVEL!!!!!! Meet more people! Volunteer!


If you were just given $10 million what would be the first thing you would do?
-Fix our house, and then travel to the UAE to visit my friend Asma. Oh, yeah, I'd do all of those things AFTER I quit my job.

What do you need to think about differently to have the life your desire?
-I just need to keep working towards it... small steps, here and there, will eventually yield results. Right now we're working towards getting caught up on our bills... then we'll work on paying them off! I'm also making artistic creations whenever I can, and hope to have enough to schedule some shows this summer & winter.

I PASSED!!!!!!

I knew those few days I stayed awake would pay off one day...

Happiness Is...

Today, I'm typing a message to you from my mommy's house!!!!!! While James went to his church this afternoon, I spent time with my mom. We figured out how to use a pressure cooker I got off of Freecycle yesterday, went through some stuff in my old bedroom....

And then we collaged together!!!! Well, actually, we just cut out the pictures from magazines to make collages from later... but it was WAY fun! My mom has some really good ideas. And of course, we had deep chats, which are always fun.

Now she is at choir practice, and I'm waiting on James to get home... just enjoying the peace and quiet, finishing up a crochet project or two, and getting ready to jump in the shower.

So tell me....

How was YOUR weekend?

A Year-Old Post

I was going through my journal today, the one that I took with me to the hospital the week my dad died, to find a poem I wanted to share with you all. I FINALLY have internet access at home again, so I can talk about my dad without worrying about people thinking I'm nuts if I cry. (Like they would if I posted on my lunch at work.)

Anyway, as I was turning the pages, I found a BLOG POST I had written out for you all. I think I wrote it when my dad was first put into the hospital.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"I wonder today, about how truly wierd life is. I post on my blog about abuse, and a week later, my abuser is hospitalized. I wonder...

Do you wonder how I feel?

If so, don't worry, I asked myself the same thing. How DO I feel about my dad?

CONFLICTED!

I LOVE him so much! I long for him to love me, to be proud of me.

I FEAR him. His words have cut like knives, with no warning and no remorse.

I DISTRUST him. He lies, he fakes, and his moods change constantly.

I JEALOUSLY GUARD HIM. He is MY DADDY and no one can be loved more than I am. (This feeling wierds me out.)

I DISTANCE myself from him emotionally. I hold my real self in a protective embrace, and hide it deep inside.

I BEG FOR MORE TIME. He can't die now! We have unfinished business. I'm afraid he'll die without ever really knowing me.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

It's interesting how things played out in the end. My dad DID die then... but the unfinished business was mostly finished first. While he was in the hospital after the first & second strokes, I read to him (The Bible and Hamlet), sang to him, chatted with him... and I know he heard me then. I told him some things that I hadn't told him before... chatted about memories I had... by the time I left the hospital, I felt like he knew me better than he had before. And from all the time I sat beside him... I felt closer to him too. It was very strange.

2 Days Sans Happy Pills

Yes, I went off my happy pills for a few days to mourn the anniversary of my father's death. I sometimes miss being able to feel, I mean DEEPLY feel, my emotions. So every once in a great while, I skip a day or two, to feel a special event.

So, what did I feel yesterday? I did grieve for a while... I re-read a letter sent to me by one of my ICU-waiting-room-budds when her hubby died... and everything became real again. So often, my father's death seems unreal.. just a very bad dream.

With that exception, I spent the last two days feeling exactly like I did before I started taking the Prozac. And how was that?

Paranoid. Of all of the changes in myself, this was by FAR the most noticeable (and scary.) When my dad was first hospitalized with his stroke, he was delusional and paranoid... his paranoia? He was afraid that the doctors would let him die because he was poor and had no insurance. My paranoia? "Everyone is talking about me behind my back, saying I'm crazy. Everyone thinks I'm crazy. I'm going to loose my job, because they think I'm too crazy to work here. Maybe I AM too crazy to work here. I have flyaways in my hair... I even look like a crazy person!" In fact, today at work, I even compared myself to the crazy cat lady from the Simpsons. Frightening similarities emerged. (We both like cats! Ahhhhhhhhh it's a sign!!!!! lol)

Lack of Perspective - Without my happy pills, EVERYTHING is a big deal. Little things seem just as important as big things. The tiniest remark by a friend or co-worker seems like the biggest deal EVER, when it is TOTALLY inconsequencial.

Inability to "get over it" - Without my happy pills, I can't just brush things off... AT ALL. Minor things get under my skin and just eat at me... and eat at me... until I do something about them.

Insomnia - My mind races, and sleep is next to impossible.

Physical anxiety symptoms - my heart races, breathing can be hard, I'm restless, I can't concentrate...

So now, 2 happy pills later, life is SOOOOOO good. I'm calm, I'm happy, but still clear-headed enough to face my problems.

I can't help but wonder... HOW ON EARTH DID I LIVE LIKE THAT BEFORE PROZAC?!

Please Vote!

A friend of mine and I were discussing her morning drive to work, and how she drives two blocks on very-rarely-traveled roads to take her baby to her grandma's house on her way to work.

Grandma flipped out because the baby was only buckled in the front clasps of the car seat, and not the shoulder straps.

So, we decided to put a vote on my blog... please cast your vote on the top-right part of my blog so that we can know your opinion!!!! Enquiring minds are dying to know!!!! lol

A Year Ago Today...

I found out that my Dad was not going to get any better. After days of sleeping at a hospital, worrying, wondering why he had two strokes when he was on blood thinners already... the doctors took us back to talk to us. They had a theory, that the Staph A and MRZA infections that Dad was battling were somehow lodged in his artificial heart valve, and sending blood clots to his brain.

I learned that as next of kin, the decisions regarding his care were up to me... less than a week before that time, my Dad had been independant, living alone, taking care of himself... now his fever was outrageous and unable to be lowered, his health was so bad that the doctors couldn't risk replacing his valve. I learned terms like Power of Attorney, chatted with a lawyer...

I had been without my Prozac since Friday... and refused to go home for it. I wanted to FEEL this... I wanted to be able to pray for my dad, talk to him, cry for him. I am SO glad I didn't take my Prozac that week.

I sat in a waiting room, chatting with two women who I will never forget. Both of their husbands were in the hospital, and both were staying in the ICU waiting rooms. One taught me how to crochet cute little hearts... one made me laugh. We worked a puzzle together... chatted a lot... they were SUCH a God-send. (Which, when a lady prayed for me at the start of Dad's ordeal, she had specifically prayed that God would send "Christian fellowship" to me as I waited. And although I don't really know the religions of everyone I met through the ordeal... the prayer was very effective. Without that, I would have cracked for sure.) We had become "hardcore" ICU waiters... handing out pillows and blankies to the "newbies", telling them where things were and how to work the phones...

I had learned how to successfully sponge-bathe in a hospital restroom. While visiting hours were done one day, I rushed to the dollar store and grabbed shower gel and a towel... and washed my hair in the bathroom sink and my body as well.

Note about Today: I'm doing surprisingly well at the moment... Friday I went on a crazy cleaning spree, and so Saturday we got to just relax and hang out here at home... playing Lego Star Wars and enjoying a visit from April the Neighbor. Yesterday we went to church and then to James's Aunt Clara's house... I got to see my NEICE!!!!! I have a NEICE!!!!!!!! She is a year old (long story about that) and absolutely adorable! She's not exactly sure how to feel about Aunt Jana, but I'm pretty sure that giving her food raised her opinion of me quite a bit lol Aunt Clara taught me how to make cavatini, I got to chat with my almost-sister-in-laws, we collaged and just hung out... altogether, I think everyone may be working to keep me busy? (And therefore distracted.)

I've talked to James about this week, and how I'll need his support... he's been great. Life now is good, and last year just seems like a horribly unreal nightmare.

8 Random Things

Jami tagged me with a meme!


The rules: one, each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves. Two, people who are tagged need to write their own blog entry about their eight things and post these rules. Three, at the end of your entry, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names/pseudonyms/blogs. Four, don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog. Ready? Here goes!


1. My office at home is decorated in sage green with a palm tree border, and I love it! It was decorated by my former roomie, for my former roomie... and it is JUST SO ME!!!! Wierd, huh??


2. In high school, my nickname was Figit, because I was constantly moving around and fidgetting. Even to this day, my right leg constantly jiggles if I sit for any period of time. Sometimes my left joins in, but not usually.


3. I'm a very annoying person to go to church or business meetings with. EVERYTHING makes me laugh, especially when others are quiet. :o) I also try to whisper things to others, to make them laugh, so they look like "The Annoying One."


4. I have always loved kids and been great with them, but I'm not sure I want any of my own. Kids are a huge & life-changing responsibility, and I'm not sure I want that right now.


5. I am a total Gamer. We have a Nintendo NES, Sega Genesis, Gameboy Advance, Game Cube, and a computer. My neighbor gave us the NES ("I don't even know what this thing IS!" were her exact words lol). Our current fave games? Mario 3 for the NES, Sonic for Sega, Dragon Warrior for Gameboy Advance, Need for Speed: Most Wanted for Game Cube, Lego Star Wars for Game Cube (we bought it as a treat to ourselves off of ebay, and it came in the mail TODAY! *happy clap*), Warcraft 2 for PC, and Mafia for PC

6. I have 6 books laying beside my bed at the moment, all in the process of being read. Endometriosis for Dummies, The Lady Her Lover & Her Lord, the Bible, Living Well with Endometriosis , Quilting for Dummies, and 52 Volume 2 (a comic book series that James borrowed from a guy at his job... WAY good! Who knew I'd like comic books?!)

7. Every night before bed, I try to read some in at least 2 or three of the above-mentioned books. I have a hard time getting through non-fiction books, so that is my way of consistently getting a little read each day.

8. I have a running trade agreement with April-the-neighbor. We constantly are trading books, videos, art supplies, yarn, hooks/needles, and sometimes we even trade food.... She has the BEST supply of Sci-Fi books ever, AND she is even more obsessed with Star Trek than I am!!!!! Wooooooooo!!!!!!!!!

Now I am tagging.... Alison, Leti, Shannon, Tammy Mimms, Vykky, Tammy the Warrior, Ellie (Ellie, I LOST YOUR BLOG!!!!! Can you post with a link back??? I'm looking everywhere for you!), and Jen

It's an artsy life, for me...

All kinds of artistic things have been happening in the House of Jana lately. On an e-mail list I'm on, we're doing a Something-For-Me crochet challenge. What am I making? A purple crochet shrug! Here is a pic of it so far: It looks a little wierd, but only because it's at a funny angle on the chair.

I've also been decorating boxes... here is the lid for a pretty purple box!


And the bottom of another box. I used a package of random old Hymnal pages (bought at a yard sale!) and ripped them in pieces to make this look!

I also made an ornament from the pages, which looks much cuter than it does in this fuzzy-wuzzy pic.

I also made some green ornaments! Aren't they festive? I plan to embellish all of my ornaments later, with various pretties.

Aunt Clara came over Monday evening (James's Auntie) and decided to join the fun... isn't her red ornament awesome??

She also decorated an empty apple sauce jar!

She made some ornaments with wittle animals on them!

Isn't it funny how to people can work at the same task, with the same materials available, and have COMPLETELY different results?

Now that you've seen what I've been up to, today's Question of the Day is:

What have YOU been up to?

Yesterday

Can you believe, yesterday was James & I's one month anniversary! We have been married only a month! It seems like we've always been together. :)

He pointed out yesterday that it was our one month anniversary... but I wasn't feeling too cheerful. Later, I realized that it was also the one-year anniversary of The Call. One week from today marks the anniversary of my father's death.

I've pretty much went into emotional shutdown in the past week or so... the pressures of work, learning to work together in marriage, money, leaky roofs,... combined with knowing that it's Febuary, and eventually I will have to deal with my father's death... It's been hard. In so many ways, I just want to lay down and hide from it all... I don't want to get up, or go to work, or go anywhere else... I just want to hide from it all. But grief is not something that you can hide from.

So for the next two weeks, I'm making a commitment on this blog to be open with what i'm feeling. My blog may not be the warm-fuzziest place for these two weeks, it may not always be cheerful and happy,... but I know I'm not alone in grieving, and maybe someone reading this will need to know that they aren't alone either.

Iraq - Where do we go from here?

Huckabee's plan:

The good:
"I support a regional summit so that Iraq's neighbors become financially and militarily committed to stabilizing Iraq now rather than financially and militarily committed to widening the war later."

"Withdrawal would have serious strategic consequences for us and horrific humanitarian consequences for the Iraqis. If we leave, Iraq's neighbors on all sides will face a refugee crisis and be drawn into the war: Iran to protect the Shiites; Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan to protect the Sunnis; and Turkey to protect its control over its own Kurd population. Iraq is a crossroads where Arab meets Persian and Kurd, Sunni meets Shiite, so if it's not a peaceful buffer, it can easily become a tinder box for the region. " (I am impressed that he realizes exactly how much of an impact Iraq can have.)

The bad: "The Democrats delusionally deny that the war in Iraq is part of the war on terror even as we fight Al Qaeda there." (Great strategy for solving Iraq's political problems... let's insult the Democrats! I'm sure THAT will help Iraq become stable... *rolling eyes*)

Notes from me: It seems like Huckabee is so busy blasting Democrats, and talking about the evil of Al Queda and terrorism, that he doesn't have time to make a definate plan for how to "win" in Iraq. I think his goals are noble... but I'd like to see a lot more details about how he plans to accomplish those goals.

My opinion of his plan: ***** (1 Star)

Hillary 's plan:


The good: "As president, Hillary would focus American aid efforts during our redeployment on stabilizing Iraq, not propping up the Iraqi government. She would direct aid to the entities -- whether governmental or non-governmental -- most likely to get it into the hands of the Iraqi people."


"In her first days in office, Hillary would convene a regional stabilization group composed of key allies, other global powers, and all of the states bordering Iraq. The- mission of this group would be to develop and implement a strategy to create a stable Iraq. It would have three specific goals:
*Non-interference. Working with the U.N. representative, the group would work to convince Iraq's neighbors to refrain from getting involved in the civil war.
*Mediation. The group would attempt to mediate among the different sectarian groups in Iraq with the goal of attaining compromises on fundamental points of disputes.
*Reconstruction funding. The members of the group would hold themselves and other countries to their past pledges to provide funding to Iraq and will encourage additional contributions to meet Iraq's extensive needs. "

Note from me: I really get the impression that Hillary has thought her plan through. I like the fact that she plans to take Iraq and make it a "group project" by including other nations in the work to rebuild and stabilize the country. The goal of non-interference seems nice, but unreachable... I'm a little worried about that. I wonder how she plans to convince the states bordering Iraq NOT to interfere?

My opinion of her plan? ***** (4 stars)

Obama's plan:

The bad: "Obama will immediately begin to remove our troops from Iraq. He will remove one to two combat brigades each month, and have all of our combat brigades out of Iraq within 16 months... The best way to press Iraq’s leaders to take responsibility for their future is to make it clear that we are leaving. As we remove our troops, Obama will engage representatives from all levels of Iraqi society – in and out of government – to seek a new accord on Iraq’s Constitution and governance."


*Note from me: His plan is basically to immediately withdraw from Iraq, thereby forcing the Iraqi officials to work & solve their own problems. I'm a little afraid of this approach... not of the withdrawl, but of the lack of planning for how to get Iraq stabilized with their own functional government.


The good: "Obama will launch the most aggressive diplomatic effort in recent American history to reach a new compact on the stability of Iraq and the Middle East. This effort will include all of Iraq’s neighbors — including Iran and Syria. This compact will aim to secure Iraq’s borders; keep neighboring countries from meddling inside Iraq; isolate al Qaeda; support reconciliation among Iraq’s sectarian groups; and provide financial support for Iraq’s reconstruction."

My opinion of his plan: ***** (3 Stars)

McCain's plan:

The bad: "More troops are necessary to clear and hold insurgent strongholds; to provide security for rebuilding local institutions and economies; to halt sectarian violence in Baghdad and disarm Sunni and Shia militias; to dismantle al Qaeda; to train the Iraqi Army; and to embed American personnel in Iraqi police units."

"The United States must also bolster its regional military posture to make clear to Iran our determination to protect our forces in Iraq and to deter Iranian intervention in that country. " (Wow... is it just me, or does that sound a bit like he wants war with Iran as well??)

The good: "America's ultimate strategy is to give Iraqis the capabilities to govern and secure their own country." (We have a GOAL! *happy clap*)

"Building a capable Iraqi army is a central requirement for ensuring Iraq's ability to govern and protect itself long after American forces have withdrawn."

Notes from me: McCain seems to have a VERY detailed strategy for bringing stability and independece to Iraq. I also think it is very good that he realizes that Iraq DOES need to have a capable army of it's own... so that it isn't defenseless and easily conquered by other nations in the area.

My opinion of his plan: ***** (3 Stars)

Romney's plan:

I have looked all around his website, and can't find ANYTHING about his plan for Iraq. If anyone else knows the location of his opinion, please let me know so i can include it here!

I think we can all agree on what we want to happen... we all want Iraq to become a safe, free, independent nation. We all want our troops home as soon as that goal has been accomplished.

Each politician though, has a different method for making that happen. One wants more military presence, to make the citizens feel safe. One wants to unite other nations, including the ones surrounding Iraq, to make helping Iraq a common goal. One wants to bring the troops home, so that the political factions in Iraq will be forced to work together.

My question for the day:

What method do YOU think will best help Iraq?

Crumbling

Since the incident at work last week, I've felt out of control... and through the weekend, it got worse instead of better. Insomnia, mood swings, depression... I feel like my mental health is crumbling, and I'm not sure what to do about it... I need to rest, but when I lay down my mind spins wildly trying to figure out a solution to this mess. Even happy pills are not helping. I feel beyond overwhelmed.

In happier news, I DID get a mad burst of energy Saturday night, and set to work getting all kinds of supplies ready for my collaged ornaments I want to make and sell this Christmas. To make them, I cut interesting pictures from magazines and glue them to a plain ornament.... so this weekend, I cut out a HUGE pile of pictures!! I got some great ideas for new sets of ornaments, so hopefully I'll have pics of some new ornaments up on my blog later this week!