Heavy Stuff

I am taking two classes this eight weeks. One is on slave narratives and the other is on human rights. It's nice that they are related, helps with the mindset. Heavy topics but very cool to dig deeper into. I have been spending this week comparing historical documents like the Declaration of Independence, Emancipation Proclamation, The Indian Removal Act, and other similar historical documents from other countries to the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The evolution of documents regarding human rights is really interesting to study.

Check out these websites:

http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html

http://avalon.law.yale.edu/ - has copies of every important document, pretty much ever made.

A Day with the Girls

Yesterday was so beautiful we just had to get out. We drove to Warm Springs and walked through the stores. Then we kept driving south to Columbus. I love Columbus it is the best mix of new town and history. We had a late lunch at Houlihans, then headed back to Peachtree City. It may not have been a very exciting day, but it was a day spent together, filled with music, beautiful scenery and laughing!

Go Karen..Go Karen!

A little bragging...Most of you know that I work a full-time job, take a full load at Mercer University, and raise my girls with very little help. I know there are a lot of people who tackle work, school, and single parenting, and I am so proud of them! Like me, you probably don't have to many people who really know all that is involved in doing this well! Your job is to cheer others on, not very many people cheer you on. I have a few very special people that help to keep me going. Mostly I travel this path with very little support other than God (I am so glad I have him!). My children understandably are focused on their own lives and very seldom acknowledge my struggles or accomplishments! Today I took a test that took 6 months of extra studying along with everything else I do.....I PASSED!! I have a Property and Casualty Insurance license and now I have my Life, Accident and Heath. This will help me to advance in my current career with Nationwide Insurance! I am so proud of me!!! Okay maybe I did a lot of bragging, please excuse me!

Group Projects!!

Group projects, remember those when you were in school? The group usually consisted on one dedicated member, a couple of moderate members and the lame member. The lame member contributed very little, they stuck a few things on the presentation and didn’t stay around long enough to see if the glue held. They were off to have fun leaving the others, mostly the dedicated member, to make sure everything was in place and looked good. The project was important and a grade other than an “A” would not suffice. All the members were frustrated by the lame member but no one had the courage or ability to stand up to them. The dedicated member would try to get the attention of the lame member, try to talk with them to understand why they didn’t participate, why this accomplishment meant so little to them. The lame member would either belittle the dedicated member or blow them off completely. Occasionally the dedicated member would get so frustrated they would almost pitch a tantrum to get the other group members to help in getting the lame member to participate, but it never worked. Usually the other members just looked at the dedicated member like they were crazy and she/he felt like a fool! So the dedicated member just plodded on working diligently, constantly trying to remember that the accomplishment and the “A” was the most important thing, not who really put the work in. When the project was done, as unfair as it was, the whole group including the lame member got the “A”. The lame member contributed hardly anything, but got to enjoy all the rewards of a job well done. It has never seemed fair when this occurs, yet it occurs over and over and it doesn’t stop after high school. It happens at work, it happens in marriages, it happens in raising children, it happens and it stinks! Christian belief is the only thing to hold on to in these cases, I am holding on with my bloody scraped up fingers right now!!

Whoever speaks is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen 1 Peter 4:11

Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. Colossians 3:17

Who Knew?

I had a few uneasy days this week. I was having to drive to the north side of town this week for continuing education for my job. I was terribly frightened when I was driving on the interstate and felt as if I was going to pass out!! For two days I had felt very strange and wasn't sure what it was. I wasn't taking any new medications or had eaten any strange foods. On Thursday I picked Britta up from GSU and told her about how I had been feeling and she joked,"maybe it was all the Good and Plenty's I had been eating". I usually eat these when I am nervous, the commute and the class were causing this. On the way home we stopped and got groceries at Publix and I went in the pharmacy section on Leslies advice and took my blood pressure...WOW it was high. When we got home I took some of my blood pressure medicine and rested. Britta mean while went on line and found that licorice is very bad for blood pressure, so her joke had actually been true. Unfortunately I have to give my Good and Plenty's up because as soon as they were out of my body my blood pressure went back to its normal rate, who knew!!!

So Beautiful! So Smart!

Kendall McKeown (daughter #3)has been selected for Beta Club. I AM SO PROUD! Kendall did alright in middle school, but has really blossomed in her first year of high school. Kendall loves anything to do with science, Discovery Channel and Animal Planet. She is also a very gifted artist, I'll share some of that soon!

Kendall so cute!

Kendall so glamorous!

Photo courtesy of Britta Hallberg

Thunder Snow!

Snow in Peachtree City, Georgia

We got 5 inches and it included thunder and lightening

Kendall's Asian Snowman

Scarf knitted by Kendall

Lacey Kate, Kitty, Kendall and Britta

enjoying the snow!