Conversations with a Conservative

I like to shop, but more than that I LOVE a bargain. The Container Store by my house is moving so the entire store is 60% off today.  Apparently other people like a bargain, too.  I went on my lunch break, and they still had what I wanted, but I probably would have stood in line for an hour - no thank you! I didn't need any of it, and my time would be better spent doing something else. Here is where I need your help.  Please convince me to hold strong and not go back after work.  I have so many better things to be doing at home, but I just love the bargain hunt so much.  This is my vow to myself and you - I will not go back but instead go home and fold the laundry, vacuum the house, and start on my last roman shade.  Hold me accountable!

If you read any of the blogs I do, you will probably assume I'm about to share about my amazing weekend in Atlanta hearing Beth Moore speak.  Unfortunately you will not.  I guess I acould tell you about all of the yard work I did this weekend, but that really isn't too amazing. Instead,  I'm sad because I didn't get to go to Atlanta and meet all of these amazing women. I shouldn't be, and I'm so glad that they all had such wonderful fellowship together.  Now I wouldn't have been able to go even if I wanted to, but I'm pretty sure my insecurity would have paralyzed me from going anyway. This post could easily get too long and depressing so I'm going to try and avoid that.  Instead I will try to share these brief thoughts.  I used to be EXTREMELY insecure. I mean so bad I would literalluy ask my parents and friends multiple times a day if they loved/liked me - no exaggeration. I have no idea how I came out of that other than through the love of G...

(Picture from here ) So I have to set my relationship (well, I mean he doesn’t know I’m alive or anything) must have started back in high school.  No, I wasn’t in high school in the 80’s.  In fact, I didn’t start kindergarten until 1990.  However, I used the ever popular Poison song “Every Rose Has It’s Thorn” as part of a huge junior English project.  I get that song stuck in my head any time I think about that project. I digress.  Anywho, I haven’t thought much about Bret until recently because my husband and I thoroughly enjoy The Celebrity Apprentice.  (Side note:  I totally disagree with Rod Blag*ojevich and don’t really love him, but he was super entertaining on this show!)  I have actually grown to like Bret a lot on the show, and his recent illness has caught my attention. It just seems so weird to watch him on Sunday and see him seem so full of life, and then just BOOM!  His life is forever changed.  It scares me to thi...

I mentioned a few posts back about my woes with my old computer.  Well, my incredibly amazing husband did some looking for me and found me a great deal on a factory refurbished Dell netbook from their website.  I might be in love!  Here she is: I’m also using the blogging application on my new netbook to type this so I’m anxious to see how it works.  I’m just so excited to have something that works better and won’t be a time suck because it takes so long to do everything.  I’m super excited to be able to easily upload my pictures online to share with my family, and just be able to have stress free computing. I’m very thankful to be able to use this new tool!

Did you hear what Sen. Chuck Schumer wants to do? Introduce legislation that would prevent airlines to charge for carry-on luggage (i.e. Spirit). What?! Where does it say in the Constitution that any branch of government should be interfering in the private airline business? I was watching Fox & Friends yesterday, and heard Steve Doocy (the cool anchor from Kansas) talking to good ol' Chuck Schumer about this. Apparently Senator Schumer is under the impression that it is a right for us to be able to fly at some randomly determined standard I guess. Sure, I like to fly, and I like to fly for a good price. However, the market should be determining that price, not the government! The companies need to determine what they can afford and what their customers are willing to pay. Each company can and should choose their own price structure, and then they have to determine if the market will respond accordingly. Really, I just can't believe that the government even for a nanose...

(Picture from here .) I think everyone I know has just had a baby, is going to have a baby, or wants to have a baby! Is there something wrong with me? I want children, with my whole heart. I really look forward to being a mom someday and more and more I hope to be able to stay home with my children. The thing is, I can wait right now. I don’t have baby fever. I feel too young. I’m only 25 – how could I possibly know how to care for a child yet; I can barely take care of my husband, dog, and me. I guess what I’m wondering is should that itch be there? Should I be craving to be a mother? Does this mean my maternal instincts are off? I just feel like an older (and hopefully more mature and less selfish) version of me would make a better mother. Plus, the husband isn’t even out of law school yet! I think about my future children: their looks, personality. In my dreams I love being pregnant (I hope that is true, but the labor part still terrifies me). I know I’ll love sewing l...

(Picture from here .) Tijuana, Mexico. That is the extent of my worldly travels. Pretty pathetic, huh? I know I need to explore the world and get outside of my bubble. I think it scares me to do because I will realize just how much I want that I don’t need. I also think it would be good for me. You might be wondering what has brought about this train of thought. Last week, I had the chance to see one of my best friends from high school. She lives in Mexico right now teaching at a school there so I don’t get to see her often enough. She and her fiancé also recently went on trip to India, and they were talking about it at a church near my city. I was so excited to get to see her and hear about her experience. We’re going to call my awesome friend K. So K and D (her fiancé) were part of a team made up of Mexican pastors and English translators. The Mexican church is growing and has realized that they are also told by God to go and make disciples so they planned this trip to India. Howeve...

I'm not the CEO. I'm not even in management. Therefore, I would say that I wear business casual most days; meaning I'm usually in slacks and a blouse or maybe a skirt or dress. Today, however, I'm going more casual and wearing wide leg trouser khakis with a BR polo shirt. It is as close to jeans as I can get on a Friday. I was also in the work car a lot this morning so I didn't want to be in a skirt today. Anyhow, yesterday my job required me to dress up a bit more so I put on one of two suits I own. I guess someday I'll have a job that might require me to own more, but until then, this is what I got: (I also just realized it looks like I have no right hand in this pic - my awesome photography skills at work in the office bathroom) I like wearing a suit and all, but I struggle with what to wear under it. I don't love button down shirts for two reasons: ironing and gaping. Some would say I am blessed with a larger bust (I feel more cursed, but the gra...

So last night while sitting in the bank drive-through waiting for the teller to return my deposit receipt, I saw this little sign on the drive-through console: "Backed by the full faith and credit of the United States Government" This was on the FDIC sticker, and frankly, I just found it funny, ironic, and sad. You know, at some point that probably would have meant something to me, but now I just have very little faith in the US government and definitely zero faith in their credit unless things change soon! I know America can still prevail and be the great free nation it is, but it takes work from us, and that is exactly what I plan to do as the mid-terms elections draw nearer and nearer. I do believe that America needs to remain a Christian nation. That doesn't mean we condemn or turn away those who are not Christians, that isn't what God calls us to do. However, it does mean we fight for the things that are in line with God's Word (the Bible), and our countr...

I guess it really isn't ever too late to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ. I wanted to share this video yesterday, but I have just been so busy. Also, I'm having to post this from my phone so I don't know how to embed the video. You'll just have to click on the link, but I promise it is worth it! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tn94B3GHcjY&feature=youtube_gdata Happy "late" Easter!

If you followed me here from my last blog, welcome back! If you are an entirely new reader, welcome! I needed to take a break from blogging for a bit and reinvent and refocus what I wanted my blog to be. I feel like I have been gone longer than I have, but I missed having this outlet and way to communicate with my blog friends. However, things will be different this time. I probably won't post as often, and I think I want to focus more on topical posting versus random thoughts that pop in my head. I want to write (and maybe even teach) about projects I'm working on. I want to share political opinions sometimes because this Country and the people in it are important to me. If we disagree, that is fine. We are a diverse world so I don't expect us to always see eye to eye. Most of all though, I want this blog to be a way to converse and share fun ideas, tips, and stories. I hope you'll decide to join in on this conversation because I look forward to hearing what you h...