Kanan is 8 months Old!

Posted in Kanan news, My Former Life Before Jesus by Theresa

It is so hard to come to terms with Kanan turning 8 months old. It seems like just yesterday…..well you know the rest; it is a line every mother says a thousand times in her life. I think I have already said it a dozen times thus far. Regardless, my little baby is a soon-to-be-toddler. Just yesterday he started “cruising” along the furniture and around the inside of his pack-n-play when we put him in it. It is not a whole lot. I don’t even think he realized that he has done it, but he has. I’ll give it a couple more days until he realizes what he can do and then that is all he will want to do all day (phew!) For pics of this month click HERE! Videos of this month are mixed in with the pics.

Kanan weighs 20 lbs. He is still 28 1/2 inches long. He is eating pureed meats now including chicken and beef. He loves beef (red meat lover just like his mother) but needs to mix his chicken with fruit in order for him to tolerate it. He is using his pincer grasp now as well and so I am including some finger foods with every meal for him to practice with. Sometimes he gets it into his mouth and sometimes he just fusses for me to do it. He loves, Loves, LOVES bite size pieces of cheese (my little mouse) and he also likes Gerber Graduates freeze dried bananas and strawberries. He also practices drinking from a sippy cup during his meals with me and does drink it successfully but not of course without dumping a lot of it all over himself and his highchair tray (I have to take the plug out because he can’t figure out how to get the water out with it in just yet).

Kanan is also taking a bath in the regular bathtub now just like a big boy (as you can see in the pic above). We fill the bathtub up to a little below his waist and he has a great time crawling around, sucking on his water toys, and trying to stand up in the tub. It is definitely a lot of work for me because I am constantly grabbing him when he tries to stand because I don’t want him slipping. But his graduation to the big boy bathtub has made him much happier with bath-time. He squeals and laughs and even in his grumpiest moments transforms into the happiest baby on the block when it is bath-time.

This last weekend, Mike and I went on our first trip away from Kanan. Kanan’s Grammy Joella and Grandpa Don came all the way down from Reno to babysit and Kanan didn’t even register that we were gone the entire trip! The little booger! He had a wonderful time with his grandparents and of course, they fell in love with him even more. They said that he was “mild-mannered, relaxed, and a good, happy baby.” I guess they didn’t notice that he has twinkle toes like his father!

Over all we have had a wonderful month. We are waiting on teeth still, but that is the only milestone on which Kanan seems behind. But we are late teethers and early walkers in our family, so it looks like he is just keeping it in the family way.

We are moving here in a week and will have to make some adjustments with our smaller place, but we feel Kanan will do just fine in the transition. And we will be living one-block away from the sand so Kanan’s new backyard will be the ocean! And he is going to see it everyday because without a backyard, we will have to take the boys out for walks everyday. I guess I’ll finally get a chance to lose that last 5 lbs that have been hanging on me like a codependent friend. Good Riddance!

31Oct2007

Halloween Shmalloween

Posted in My Former Life Before Jesus, personal stuff by Theresa

This day has been sour from early this morning. First, I spent a good 15 minutes arguing with two of my students in first period about why a certain character in a story was not round.

Then I don’t even make it into my driveway before my neighbors approach me. They are nice girls but they come over way too much and don’t get the hint when I want them to go. So they come inside and of course, don’t go back home for 2 hours. Even though I’m cleaning the house or putting Kanan down for a nap or talking with future renters who are checking the house out, they stay. To top it off, Kanan is in the grumpiest mood I have seen in a long time. Nothing is making the kid happy. I don’t know if it is teething or a tummy ache or what.

Mike then decides he is too tired for us to go to my sister’s neighborhood to trick or treat. So I decide to atleast put Kanan in his costume and take some photos. Kanan hates the costume and starts crying hysterically the second I start putting it on him. Every photo of him is of him crying . Luckily he is cute, so even a crying skunk is better than no skunk pictures. So after I take the costume off of Kanan, and start getting him ready for bed, he miraculously cheers up, but Mike passes out on the floor. After 45 minutes of sleeping on the floor of Kanan’s room, he gets up long enough to give Kanan and a kiss and then disappears. After I finally get Kanan in bed and sleepy, I come out of the bedroom starving and hoping Mike is starting something for dinner since we went to the grocery store last night and bought a bunch of groceries and even meal planned. There is no one around. I go into our bedroom and he is asleep. He didn’t even eat dinner.

So here I am on Halloween night. No trick or treating, no fun dressing up, everyone is in bed but me. There are not even trick or treaters knocking on my door for treats to cheer me up. The neighborhood is dead. I guess everyone left for the neighborhoods with the big candy bars or something. Anyway, I’m eating a microwavable burrito and feeling sorry for myself. Grrrrrrrrrrrr.

29Oct2007

Certainly a Red October

Posted in My Former Life Before Jesus by Theresa

Our family got a little rambunctious in the aftermath of the wildfires last week and finished the crazy week with a bang. This weekend was the first time most of us were able to get out of our homes and breathe the air in a whole week and so one can imagine why we got a bit crazy. First of all, I impulsively chopped my hair and made bangs—-by myself. Did such a lousy job, I had to schedule an emergency appointment with a hairdresser to fix my mess. She salvaged what was left and believe it or not, I actually don’t regret it. I suppose having trappedinsidebecauseofsmokemania can lead to some good things.

Secondly, Kanan and his cousins got together with his Aunt Barbie, Grandma and Grandpa, and of course Mike and I on Saturday and went to the Pumpkin Patch. Kanan had a great time watching his cousins go on the rides and do the crazy bungee trampoline ride. He got a little fussy from not napping as early as he normally does. We had to use the binky a bit toward the end of the pumpkin patch experience though. But he got a second wind and then didn’t want to go down for a nap when we got home. He ended up staying up 6 whole hours before falling asleep! And believe it or not, he was in a great mood for most of it. Unfortunately, Mike and I didn’t bring money to buy a pumpkin so we might have to just make a run to the grocery store to get one this week.

When Kanan showed us that he was definitely not wanting to take a nap, we let him play with his cousins and he had such a great time. He crawled and climbed and played with their big blow up hammers and was all smiles. He just loves his cousins Tristen, Harley, and Zane.

When we did arrive home, we discovered that Smokey and Bandido got a little stir-crazy being trapped in the house for 5 hours. They got into the bathroom, discovered a brand-new 4-pack package of toilet-paper and just had a ball, tearing it apart and spreading the chewed up sheets all over the bathroom. Their punishment? They were locked in our other 2ftx4ft bathroom for 30 minutes. And when I opened the door to let them out, Smokey jumped out but grumpy Bandido just stayed there. He didn’t even care. I was cracking up laughing. When I took this picture here, Bandido didn’t want to be a part of it. Only Smokey was silly enough to stay for photographs. Ha ha, sucker.

All in all, it was a fun weekend and we are all happy to be safe and sound. Check out the rest of the pics of our weekend HERE!

27Oct2007

Smokey and Bandido Update

Posted in My Former Life Before Jesus by Theresa

How unthoughtful of me to post such a tragic story about the boys and then never write an update to let you know your thoughts and prayers were heard. Thank you all so much for your thoughts and prayers. The boys are alive and well! They were pretty grumpy and in pain for a while there, but starting this week they have really come around. Smokey is back to his playful self—jumping on us when he is excited and wanting attention. Bandido is still moody, but he is always like that. Yet he is actually cheering up a bit too and comes to us for cuddling when he is in the mood, of course. His wound on his behind abscessed unfortunately and got so bad, we had to schedule him for another surgery, but while we were at JC Pennies getting our family pictures taken, his abscess decided to burst! Disgusting, right? And to make the situation all the more crazy, in effect, the other customers thought he was a girl dog and asked if he was in heat, ha ha. I guess getting neutered didn’t help him in that department. Regardless, we cancelled the surgery and the veterinarian said he was healing up nicely.

26Oct2007

Kanan is Moving….and it is no longer just horizontally

Posted in Kanan news, My Former Life Before Jesus by Theresa

Still a couple of weeks to go before Kanan is 8 months old, but he is not letting his young age bring him down, unless it is falling down. The day after Kanan’s 7 month birthday, Kanan decided he was not satisfied with the simple crawling he had mastered over the previous 2 weeks. No, this boy was ready to walk and so he attempted the first step in that direction—pulling himself up! Ever since he did it the first time on my knee the little boy has been on a mission. Anything and everything is now an opportunity for him to pull himself up. Pampers boxes, ottomons, coffee tables, rocking chair, Mom’s knees, Dad’s guitar—-you name it, Kanan will figure out how to pull himself up with it. One problem though has come as a consequence to his new found freedom. Falling. The little boy is a crawling, pulling up catastrophe waiting to happen. I try to prevent him from falling as much as I can, but he seems to slip in a few falls each day no matter how hard I try. Luckily, a simple hug and a kiss normally helps him forget and he is back at it in a few short moments. Check him out in action here on Youtube. And stay tuned for Kanan’s 8 month update in a couple of weeks.

And for those who are curious—1) This was either before or after his nap, so the binky is there because he enjoys sucking during those times. 2) Shortly after making this video, Kanan discovered the monitor plugged into the wall and started playing with it. I have since moved the monitor to a more discrete area and plugged up the outlets with those childproof plugs.

11Oct2007

Please pray for Smokey and Bandito

Posted in My Former Life Before Jesus by Theresa

As some of you may know, our little family suffered from a tragic event last Monday. Some gang members in our neighborhood broke our fence and sent in 3 blue nose pitbulls, trained in dog fights, to kill our two little Corgies, Smokey and Bandito.

I came home from work Monday afternoon to find our two boys being mauled by these three dogs. My instinct at first was to scream out for help of course, but also to try and stop them. When I ran toward them, one of the pitbulls charged after me, and it was then that I realized I couldn’t risk my life for these dogs. How I wished I had a gun, but I didn’t. So instead I just screamed as loud as I could for someone to help them and cried hysterically as I watched the pitbulls continue to maul the boys. They were not dogs, but a pack of wolves. Thank god my neighbors ran into my backyard and began to hit the pitbulls with sticks. In the meantime, I somehow managed to answer a phone call from Mike as the phone was in my hand and screamed for him to get home to help. My neighbor’s son called the police.

There was so much blood it looked like a murder scene. Smokey was able to get away first while my neighbors hit the dogs and he ran into the house and out the front door toward the car in desperation, leaving a river of blood as a trail. The blood poured out of his left hind leg like a faucet and I was certain he would die. One neighbor helped me throw Smokey into the car and wrap him towels. We then found Bandito, who finally got away. He was hiding behind some bushes in my front yard. We threw him in the car too and my other neighbor jumped in my car so we could take them to the hospital. Mike arrived at this time, just in time to watch another neighbor jump into our backyard and drag away two of the pitbulls and take them 3 houses down. One of my students heard my screams and ran into my yard, grabbing the third pitbull. He apologized to me and said he would tell the owners.

While our two dogs were being operated on at the hospital, we had 5-7 police officers on our property taking our statements and interviewing neighbors. They took pictures of the scene and told us we could prosecute. Unfortunately, however, after their investigation and interviews with neighbors, they could not gather enough evidence to pinpoint exactly who broke into our yard to let the dogs in. Neighbors heard people do it, heard them chant for the dogs to “kill them” and heard one of them scream to the others to get the dogs out when our neighbor Rosa yelled that she was calling the police. Unfortunately, only one pitbull was found and detained. The one my student dragged out. The other two, that were dragged out by a man Mike has not been able to identify yet are missing. Of course, the neighbor three doors down says there were no dogs there nor that he had anything to do with this. One of my students said she heard from another student on campus that the dogs were sold by the owners. Until neighbors give up the information as to who exactly broke our fence and let these killing machines in, we will not be able to do anything. Because the only ones who can be punished are the gang members who let them in. The pitbulls can be detained, but cannot be euthenized because they did not hurt a human. Apparently charging after me wasn’t enough.

We have spent $5,000 so far on the two dogs. The majority of the money going toward saving Smokey who was going to die if we didn’t pay for a specific surgery that would identify the source of his internal bleeding. Smokey suffered from multiple bite wounds of course and those are stapeled and stiched, but additionally his major artery in his leg was severed as well as a major vein. That vein was the source of his internal bleeding and doctor’s said it was a miracle they were able to find that vein. He has also had one blood transfusion and will probably need another one soon because his blood count is continuing to drop at this point, which could signify his body is giving up. Additionally, if his leg doesn’t figure out how to recirculate the blood because of the damaged artery, he will have to have his leg amputated. We will find out more on Saturday. He is on a lot of medication and half of his body is shaved. All we can do now is wait.

Bandito is badly hurt but will live. He has multiple bite wounds all over his body. The pitbulls also tore out his anus. His worst bite wound is on his belly. It is about 3 inches deep and 4 inches long. He has staples and stiches in many places. The wounds are so deep, he has tubes that look like bones sticking out of them in 3 different places which are supposed to help drain the blood and pus that is collecting in them. Smokey also has these tubes in a few places.

Please keep our little family and of course, our boys in your thoughts and prayers. They mean a lot to our family and we will not be the same without them.

11Oct2007

Kanan is 7 Months Old!

Posted in Kanan news, My Former Life Before Jesus by Theresa

Kanan is on the move! The little boy is a crawling machine now and is picking up the pace everyday a little bit more. Watch the video of the first crawling steps he took last week Here!

In the meantime, he weighs 19 pounds and is 28 inches long. He has stopped nursing and is full time on formula now. I tried holding on to our first morning nursing session, but he told me he was ready to stop last weekend when he stopped after just a minute of nursing and reached out for the bottle sitting on the table. He is also eating solids for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in addition to the 32 ounces of formula he drinks.

He loves his Daddy and just giggles and laughs anytime they are together. He also has fallen in love with his reflection in the mirror and laughs and smiles and touches it and tries to taste it. He loves to chase balls around the house and to suck on his feet. Of course now that he is crawling, the tops of his feet and toes are dirty, which looks really funny and I’m sure tastes funny too. He has stopped needing the late night 1030pm feeding I have been giving him before I go to bed and now sleeps from 730pm to when I wake him up in the morning before I go to work. Yesterday, Mike begged me to let the baby sleep and he would feed him because he desperately wanted to catch up on rest as he hasn’t been feeling very well. Well the little booger slept until 9 am!

He continues to babble and has progressed to much more difficult phonemes including “g” and “k.” He loves to say “lalalalala” when he is happy and when he is mad, he screams out “nanananananana.” Could he be trying to say “no?”

The next milestones to come are still in processessing. He continues to teeth, but nothing has cut through his gums. He is trying to grab small objects with his pincer grasp but hasn’t figured out the coordination to succeed at that yet. And he is attempting to stand from crawling position but can’t get passed “downward dog” position (any yoga people out there know what I’m talking about.)Check out the pictures from this month HERE

9Oct2007

Vote No on NCLB Reauthorization

Posted in Random by Theresa

I’m calling congress today and tomorrow and reading this script plus the information where I give my name, city, district and phone number. If you value education or if you have children, I ask you to do the same. This script is mainly my own with a couple of phrases taken from a script that our teacher’s association wrote. I think mine is more powerful because it explains the logic as to why the proposal will hurt kids and why it is unscientific and ridiculous. You are more than welcome to use my script if you like, although it is written from a teacher’s perspective.

***

I’m asking you to vote NO on the current proposal by Representative George Miller and Speaker Nancy Pelosi to reauthorize the No Child Left Behind Act. I, along with other teachers support accountability, but only the accountability on factors we can control entirely. This reauthorization proposal makes a bad law even worse. Its one-size-fits-all approach is hurting students because it is based on the premise that children are robots not human beings. There are multiple factors that influence learning—yes, the teachers, but also students’ own natural intelligences, their emotional well beings, their family life and culture, their resources at home, their ability to do well under pressure, and their own social network at school. To expect all children to be proficient in all subject levels based solely on what is happening in their classroom is unrealistic and not even grounded on basic scientific fact—there is a natural bell curve that happens in societies in all areas, including intelligence and skills. How can a law affecting education, which teaches science, be based on such an unscientific belief? It is hypocritical and ridiculous. All this bill will do is hurt children because it does not work to solve the entire problem and also by making it harder to attract quality teachers into our public schools, thus further hurting our children. I expect that very few people would want to get into a profession in which test scores are the be-all-end-all determination of their livelihood. Teacher pay is already low enough. In the end, No Child Left Behind sounds wonderful, but it is a seriously flawed Act that doesn’t take into account the multiple influences that interconnect and play a vital role in the dynamics of learning. Please support classroom teachers and the students they teach and vote No on the Miller-Pelosi NCLB Reauthorization proposal. Something needs to be done about our children, but this is not the answer. If you have any questions or need further information, please call me at ………

2Oct2007

Life is Funny

Posted in my thoughts, personal stuff by Theresa

So my 10 year reunion is coming up and after recieving the invitiation, I decided to register at the reunion website. I added my picture and a little information about me and even included my wordpress website, but I barely remember doing all that and to be honest, didn’t think anything would come out of it. Well today toward the end of lunch, I decided to check my hotmail email account which I rarely do because I only use it when websites need an address–99% of the time I erase the emails because they are junk mail. So understand how surprised I was when I recieved an email from a high school peer of mine whose name I will leave out in order to protect her identity.

I was quite flaberghasted to recieve an email from this specific person because she was not at all my friend in high school. She was terribly mean to me from the moment I moved to Alta Loma and started school there in the 6th grade. I never understood why she was so mean to me. But in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade she teased me for multiple things including being flatchested or for being a “poser skater” because I wore fake Doc Martins and flannel shirts when I wasn’t a skater. In high school things got worse. She often called me some very hurtful names that I won’t even mention in here because they were so mean. She also gave me dirty looks and intimidated me in the halls–she once “bumped” me in the halls so hard, I hit the wall and dumped all my books on the floor. I was scared of her, I’ll be honest. And to make matters worse for me, no one could really help. She was a popular girl and had a tight niche of friends whom all seemed to follow her lead. Pretty soon her whole group of friends seemed to hate me and call me names. And I never stood up to them. I was a small teenager who hadn’t yet developed into a woman. I was also very self-concious. I was living in a home with a very controlling stepfather who didn’t love me the way I needed him to love me. I was suffering from depression because of the problems I was having at home with my father as well as because I had started an overly intimate relationship with my first love and was not at all emotionally or physically ready for such a thing. Needless to say, I never asked her why she treated me this way and I never stood up to her. I just smiled weakly without making eye contact when walking by, hoping she would one day treat me nicely. And toward my senior year, I just ignored her completely and by that time, I suppose she too just ignored me and her ridicule stopped. Still, when passing one another in the halls, I felt uncomfortable around her. I felt like she was judging me or hating me. And while I often at that time in my life gave off the appearance that I was carefree and confident, I was still struggling hard to figure out who I was or where I was going. Thinking that she judged me or hated me didn’t help my struggle with self-identity. Because the one thing I lacked was self-confidence, all I wanted was people to like me.

So fast-forward back to today at lunch, when I opened the email. Before I read the first line, I kept wondering if the letter would be an act of reconciliation on her part or perhaps a continued tortmentment that would now begin again because of my release of such personal information. My heart tightened into a clenched fist as I began to read. And slowly that fist relaxed as I realized it was indeed an act of reconciliation. She said that she had visited this wordpress website and that she “was intrigued” by my words and my artistry. She complimented me on a few of the blogs and then said something to the effect of “take care.” It wasn’t a direct, “I’m sorry.” But it did the same thing for me. And perhaps I am crazy, and she doesn’t even remember teasing me or realize how much her words hurt me and this was just her normal routine of saying hello to past peers and I am reading way too deep into this. But I would like to believe it was an act of reconciliation. It brings me a sense of peace and calms the teenage girl inside of me who still just wants to be loved.

And now the adult in me looks back at the entire high school drama experience. In retrospect, I suppose the whole time I was thinking woe is me, she too was struggling to figure out who she was in high school. Maybe someone at home wasn’t loving her enough either and somehow during that time, she treated me badly for reasons only she knows. And perhaps as she has gotten older, like me, she has grown into a self-confident and happy person. Perhaps like me, there are parts of that teenage girl inside of her who has not entirely forgotten the struggles she went through. Perhaps she and I were more alike than we knew during that confusing time in high school. Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps.

Nonetheless, I am thankful for that email that came like a butterfly on the first day of spring.

I also forgive her.

I hope she is doing well and that she is happy.

2Oct2007

Are we Spoiled Brats?

Posted in Random by Theresa

I recieved this in a chain email the other day, but went on Snopes and located the real author (in the email it said it was Leno, and I just didn’t buy it because he is part of the media). He is Craig R. Smith. I’m not sure if all of his statistics are valid, but regardless he makes some amazing points about the attitude of Americans and the need for change. I agree entirely and it made me realize that I need to change my attitude sometimes too. The article is also located at worldnetdaily.com too if you want to check it out. Otherwise, here it is cut and pasted with no alterations.

Made in the USA: Spoiled brats

Posted: November 20, 2006
1:00 a.m. EasternThe other day I was reading Newsweek magazine and came across some poll data I found rather hard to believe. It must be true given the source, right? The same magazine that employs Michael (Qurans in the toilets at Gitmo) Isikoff. Here I promised myself this week I would be nice and I start off in this way. Oh what a mean man I am. The Newsweek poll alleges that 67 percent of Americans are unhappy with the direction the country is headed and 69 percent of the country is unhappy with the performance of the president. In essence 2/3s of the citizenry just ain’t happy and want a change.So being the knuckle dragger I am, I starting thinking, ”What we are so unhappy about?”Is it that we have electricity and running water 24 hours a day, 7 days a week? Is our unhappiness the result of having air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter? Could it be that 95.4 percent of these unhappy folks have a job? Maybe it is the ability to walk into a grocery store at any time and see more food in moments than Darfur has seen in the last year?

Maybe it is the ability to drive from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean without having to present identification papers as we move through each state? Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels we would find along the way that can provide temporary shelter? I guess having thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from around the world is just not good enough. Or could it be that when we wreck our car, emergency workers show up and provide services to help all involved. Whether you are rich or poor they treat your wounds and even, if necessary, send a helicopter to take you to the hospital.

Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who own a home, you may be upset with knowing that in the unfortunate case of having a fire, a group of trained firefighters will appear in moments and use top notch equipment to extinguish the flames thus saving you, your family and your belongings. Or if, while at home watching one of your many flat screen TVs, a burglar or prowler intrudes; an officer equipped with a gun and a bullet-proof vest will come to defend you and your family against attack or loss. This all in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs or militias raping and pillaging the residents. Neighborhoods where 90 percent of teenagers own cell phones and computers.

How about the complete religious, social and political freedoms we enjoy that are the envy of everyone in the world? Maybe that is what has 67 percent of you folks unhappy.

Fact is, we are the largest group of ungrateful, spoiled brats the world has ever seen. No wonder the world loves the U.S. yet has a great disdain for its citizens. They see us for what we are. The most blessed people in the world who do nothing but complain about what we don’t have and what we hate about the country instead of thanking the good Lord we live here.

I know, I know. What about the president who took us into war and has no plan to get us out? The president who has a measly 31 percent approval rating? Is this the same president who guided the nation in the dark days after 9/11? The president that cut taxes to bring an economy out of recession? Could this be the same guy who has been called every name in the book for succeeding in keeping all the spoiled brats safe from terrorist attacks? The commander in chief of an all-volunteer army that is out there defending you and me?

Make no mistake about it. The troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have volunteered to serve, and in many cases have died for your freedom. There is currently no draft in this country. They didn’t have to go. They are able to refuse to go and end up with either a ”general” discharge, an ”other than honorable” discharge or, worst case scenario, a ”dishonorable” discharge after a few days in the brig.

So why then the flat out discontentment in the minds of 69 percent of Americans? Say what you want but I blame it on the media. If it bleeds it leads and they specialize in bad news. Everybody will watch a car crash with blood and guts. How many will watch kids selling lemonade at the corner? The media knows this and media outlets are for-profit corporations. They offer what sells. Just ask why they are going to allow a murderer like O.J. Simpson to write a book and do a TV special about how he didn’t kill his wife but if he did … insane!

Stop buying the negative venom you are fed everyday by the media. Shut off the TV, burn Newsweek, and use the New York Times for the bottom of your bird cage. Then start being grateful for all we have as a country. There is exponentially more good than bad.

I close with one of my favorite quotes from B.C. Forbes in 1953:

”What have Americans to be thankful for? More than any other people on the earth, we enjoy complete religious freedom, political freedom, social freedom. Our liberties are sacredly safeguarded by the Constitution of the United States, ‘the most wonderful work ever struck off at a given time by the brain and purpose of man.’ Yes, we Americans of today have been bequeathed a noble heritage. Let us pray that we may hand it down unsullied to our children and theirs.”

I suggest this Thanksgiving we sit back and count our blessings for all we have. If we don’t, what we have will be taken away. Then we will have to explain to future generations why we squandered such blessing and abundance. If we are not careful this generation will be known as the ”greediest and most ungrateful generation.” A far cry from the proud Americans of the ”greatest generation” who left us an untarnished legacy.