Smart kitty- sun and relaxation... we have a lot in common. (The cat is our neighbor's)
8 years ago
Monday, November 28, 2005
Monday, November 14, 2005
Our friends, Ted and Michelle. It was Ted's 30th birthday so Michelle decided to throw him a surprise "1980's" party. Believe it or not, Michelle got her lovely jumpsuit for only $1.29- talked down from $4 since there was a slight tear behind the knee. What a bargin;-) (The bottle Ted is holding is empty and only for effect). Dan couldn't go since he had to work until 10pm but I did take home a package of Pop-Rocks to him. Michelle had "The Breakfast Club" playing on the TV in the background for those good memories... a good time had by all!
Thursday, November 03, 2005
Staying connected
Hello,
We just wanted to write something new on our page since we don't have any new pictures to post:-) With thanksgiving, all is well here. Dan is doing fine in his new job and loves the short drive to work. Since we are closer to the hills, he has to watch out for deer in the mornings that tend to wander the 280 freeway- not the smartest deer, I suppose. His schedule has worked out okay so far... we spent Tuesday in SF at the deYoung museum. It was a 'free' day since it was just remoldeled. We didn't know that it was free but at least a few thousand people did know and we met them all at the front door! The fog rolled in early (1:30pm) that day, so we left early since we didn't have our coats.
Yesterday, I went 'shopping' at the local goodwill and bought a bag full of baby items for only $10. The clothes are next-to-brand-new and I'll check back in another month or two. We love Craigslist and check it regularily to get some good deals on baby items. Most people here only have one child, or two at most, due to the cost of living and busy lifestyles, so a lot of the stuff posted is almost brand-new. Yeah! I figure if we save on the small items, we can justify spending more on the 'big' items.
Dan's parents are coming for a few days before Christmas. We are excited to be establishing our own traditions for the first time. The last few Christmases we've been in L.A. or in Victoria/ Cobble Hill. Dan has to work Christmas day but has the 27/28th off. We can't believe we've been living here for a year already. After spending 4 months in a hotel suite and 6 months in a unlikeable house, I think we've finally settled into a 'home' we like.
Well, that's all for now,
Luv,
Dan and Hillary
We just wanted to write something new on our page since we don't have any new pictures to post:-) With thanksgiving, all is well here. Dan is doing fine in his new job and loves the short drive to work. Since we are closer to the hills, he has to watch out for deer in the mornings that tend to wander the 280 freeway- not the smartest deer, I suppose. His schedule has worked out okay so far... we spent Tuesday in SF at the deYoung museum. It was a 'free' day since it was just remoldeled. We didn't know that it was free but at least a few thousand people did know and we met them all at the front door! The fog rolled in early (1:30pm) that day, so we left early since we didn't have our coats.
Yesterday, I went 'shopping' at the local goodwill and bought a bag full of baby items for only $10. The clothes are next-to-brand-new and I'll check back in another month or two. We love Craigslist and check it regularily to get some good deals on baby items. Most people here only have one child, or two at most, due to the cost of living and busy lifestyles, so a lot of the stuff posted is almost brand-new. Yeah! I figure if we save on the small items, we can justify spending more on the 'big' items.
Dan's parents are coming for a few days before Christmas. We are excited to be establishing our own traditions for the first time. The last few Christmases we've been in L.A. or in Victoria/ Cobble Hill. Dan has to work Christmas day but has the 27/28th off. We can't believe we've been living here for a year already. After spending 4 months in a hotel suite and 6 months in a unlikeable house, I think we've finally settled into a 'home' we like.
Well, that's all for now,
Luv,
Dan and Hillary
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Friday, October 14, 2005
Thursday, October 13, 2005
Good morning;
We'll post some new pictures tonight after Dan shows me (once again) how to connect the camera to the computer. The last thing I want to do is wreck the camera! We are doing well here, living life one day at a time:-) The baby is growing healthy and is about 10 inches in length. Last week, we also found out that my aunt Annette (my mom's sister) is pregnant after a couple miscarriages. She is 41yrs old and her baby is due one month after ours. We are so excited! The baby will be my cousin- my grandmother will have a first great-grandchild and a new grandchild in the same month! Interesting how generations overlap.
Our friends, Katie and Phil Anderson, are visiting this weekend from Chicago. We'll post a picture of them next week. They were married in England last summer. They are moving back to England in December.
Have a blessed day!
We'll post some new pictures tonight after Dan shows me (once again) how to connect the camera to the computer. The last thing I want to do is wreck the camera! We are doing well here, living life one day at a time:-) The baby is growing healthy and is about 10 inches in length. Last week, we also found out that my aunt Annette (my mom's sister) is pregnant after a couple miscarriages. She is 41yrs old and her baby is due one month after ours. We are so excited! The baby will be my cousin- my grandmother will have a first great-grandchild and a new grandchild in the same month! Interesting how generations overlap.
Our friends, Katie and Phil Anderson, are visiting this weekend from Chicago. We'll post a picture of them next week. They were married in England last summer. They are moving back to England in December.
Have a blessed day!
Monday, September 26, 2005
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Dr. Dobson "selectively" broadcasts in Canada
Last night, Dan and I were listening to Focus on the Family, and Dr. J. Dobson had two guests on his show speaking about the current legislations in the U.S. courts (Sept. 19/05). I encourage you to listen online if possible on Family.org, or to click on the following links.
CitizenLink - Features - Hate Crimes Language Passes the Househttp://www.family.org/cforum/feature/a0037939.cfm
CitizenLink - Features - Pledge Ruled Unconstitutional -- Againhttp://www.family.org/cforum/feature/a0037926.cfm
Dr. Dobson said he is no longer allowed to broadcast programs in Canada that deal with homosexuality, since he would be sued/penalized under Canada's "Hate Crime" legislation. Wow. I had no idea this was true. At this time, there are several pastors in Canada that are dealing with legal repercussions due to speaking out against the homosexual community. As you now know, gay marriage is legal in Canada and the decision was based on the hate crime legislation.
Dobson warned that there is current legislation being passed in the U.S. courts that follows Canada's actions. The "Hate Crime" initiative is covered under a 'racist' lid but is intended to prohibit the speaking out against the gay community. The evening news is not going to warn Americans of these legal battles so we need to be proactive and keep informed ourselves and write/call our senators and statemen. Family.org has online newsletters that you can receive to be kept abreast of the laws/legal fights, and ways you can support the fights.
***To those in California, Family.org has a link to Schwarzenegger's e-mail address/phone/fax so that you can let him know you want him to veto the current gay marriage bill. You can use the following link: CitizenLink - Extras - Urge Schwarzenegger to Veto Gay-Marriage Bill
http://www.family.org/cforum/extras/a0037876.cfm ***
I'm not sure how much this blog will help, but at least I hope it makes us all more aware and willing to stand up for what we believe in before it is too late. Abortion is legal and it probably will always be but we still have a chance to stand against 'gay marriage'.
CitizenLink - Features - Hate Crimes Language Passes the Househttp://www.family.org/cforum/feature/a0037939.cfm
CitizenLink - Features - Pledge Ruled Unconstitutional -- Againhttp://www.family.org/cforum/feature/a0037926.cfm
Dr. Dobson said he is no longer allowed to broadcast programs in Canada that deal with homosexuality, since he would be sued/penalized under Canada's "Hate Crime" legislation. Wow. I had no idea this was true. At this time, there are several pastors in Canada that are dealing with legal repercussions due to speaking out against the homosexual community. As you now know, gay marriage is legal in Canada and the decision was based on the hate crime legislation.
Dobson warned that there is current legislation being passed in the U.S. courts that follows Canada's actions. The "Hate Crime" initiative is covered under a 'racist' lid but is intended to prohibit the speaking out against the gay community. The evening news is not going to warn Americans of these legal battles so we need to be proactive and keep informed ourselves and write/call our senators and statemen. Family.org has online newsletters that you can receive to be kept abreast of the laws/legal fights, and ways you can support the fights.
***To those in California, Family.org has a link to Schwarzenegger's e-mail address/phone/fax so that you can let him know you want him to veto the current gay marriage bill. You can use the following link: CitizenLink - Extras - Urge Schwarzenegger to Veto Gay-Marriage Bill
http://www.family.org/cforum/extras/a0037876.cfm ***
I'm not sure how much this blog will help, but at least I hope it makes us all more aware and willing to stand up for what we believe in before it is too late. Abortion is legal and it probably will always be but we still have a chance to stand against 'gay marriage'.
Friday, September 16, 2005
Canadian National Post article
I know neither the American nor the Canadian judicial system is flawless but there is something to be said about the American system... can you imagine only having one man's decision to appoint a judge for life? With a weakling like Paul Martin in power there is no hope for Canadian government. He didn't even stand up against gay marriage.
***
(Friday, Sept. 16/o5) "For weeks now, every word that Judge Roberts ever wrote, every memo, judgment and legal opinion was dissected by pundits and lobby groups. And now the unflappable judge is facing cross-examination by legislators on a range of issues that run the gamut from Abraham Lincoln, Alexander Hamilton and the Federalist Papers to abortion, the death penalty, civil rights, the right to die and whether Congress could vote to end the war in Iraq, given the President's constitutional role as commander in chief.
As a Canadian, one can only watch this drama unfold in wonderment, frustration and the stark embarrassment of how we appoint our Supreme Court justices north of the border. In place of all this scrutiny, we ultimately get our judges at the sole discretion of Paul Martin -- the same prime minister who continues to flout his anti-cronyism commitment by appointing friends and associates to our flabby, pointless Senate -- with virtually no input or meaningful consultation."
***
(Friday, Sept. 16/o5) "For weeks now, every word that Judge Roberts ever wrote, every memo, judgment and legal opinion was dissected by pundits and lobby groups. And now the unflappable judge is facing cross-examination by legislators on a range of issues that run the gamut from Abraham Lincoln, Alexander Hamilton and the Federalist Papers to abortion, the death penalty, civil rights, the right to die and whether Congress could vote to end the war in Iraq, given the President's constitutional role as commander in chief.
As a Canadian, one can only watch this drama unfold in wonderment, frustration and the stark embarrassment of how we appoint our Supreme Court justices north of the border. In place of all this scrutiny, we ultimately get our judges at the sole discretion of Paul Martin -- the same prime minister who continues to flout his anti-cronyism commitment by appointing friends and associates to our flabby, pointless Senate -- with virtually no input or meaningful consultation."
Thursday, September 15, 2005
"Illegal Children"
***Although this passage is lengthy, please take the time to read it. It is copied from 'Time.com' online issue Sept. 12/05. The more detailed version is on Time's website. Should the United States support the upcoming Olympics in China? Should we continually increase our trade practices with them? Or are we just as bad, killing 1000 unborn babies every day in the United States?***
The men with the poison-filled syringe arrived two days before Li Juan's due date. They pinned her down on a bed in a local clinic, she says, and drove the needle into her abdomen until it entered the 9-month-old fetus. "At first, I could feel my child kicking a lot," says the 23-year-old. "Then, after a while, I couldn't feel her moving anymore." Ten hours later, Li delivered the girl she had intended to name Shuang (Bright). The baby was dead. To be absolutely sure, says Li, the officials--from the Linyi region, where she lives, in China's eastern Shandong province--dunked the infant's body for several minutes in a bucket of water beside the bed. All she could think about on that day last spring, recalls Li, was how she would hire a gang of thugs to take revenge on the people who killed her baby because the birth, they said, would have violated China's family-planning scheme.
Since 1980, when China began fully carrying out what is commonly known as the one-child policy, officials in the provinces have often resorted to draconian measures--forced sterilizations and late-term abortions among them--to prevent the country's population of 1.3 billion from expanding into a Malthusian nightmare...
The Communist Party bureaucracy, however, doesn't seem to have caught up with the new law. Despite laxer regulation, the career advancement of local leaders, especially in rural areas, still often depends on keeping birthrates low. "One set of bad population figures can stop an official from getting promoted," says Tu Bisheng, a Beijing legal activist who has helped document abuses related to the one-child policy.
At a provincial meeting last year, Linyi officials were castigated for having the highest rate of extra births in all of Shandong, according to lawyers familiar with the situation. The dressing-down galvanized what appears to be one of the most brutal mass sterilization and abortion campaigns in years. Starting in March, family-planning officials in Linyi's nine counties and three districts trawled villages, looking to force women pregnant with illegal children to abort, and to sterilize those who already had the maximum allotment of children under the local family-planning policy. According to that regulation, which exists in a similar form in most rural areas, women with a son are not allowed to bear more children, whereas mothers whose first child is handicapped or a girl are allowed to have a second baby.
Many women refused to undergo the procedures. Others hid, often in family members' homes. The crackdown intensified. Relatives of women who resisted sterilization or abortion were detained and forced to pay for "study sessions" in which they had to admit their "wrong thinking," says Teng Biao, an instructor at the China University of Political Science and Law in Beijing, who visited Linyi last month to investigate the coercive campaign. In the Linyi county of Yinan alone, at least 7,000 people were forced to undergo sterilization between March and July, according to lawyers who spoke with local family-planning officials. Several villagers, the lawyers allege, were beaten to death while under detention for trying to help family members avoid sterilization.
Officials in Linyi deny that anything improper has happened. "All these things are either exaggerated, distorted or not based on facts," says an official surnamed Yao (he wouldn't give his full name) at the Linyi municipal family-planning commission...
The men with the poison-filled syringe arrived two days before Li Juan's due date. They pinned her down on a bed in a local clinic, she says, and drove the needle into her abdomen until it entered the 9-month-old fetus. "At first, I could feel my child kicking a lot," says the 23-year-old. "Then, after a while, I couldn't feel her moving anymore." Ten hours later, Li delivered the girl she had intended to name Shuang (Bright). The baby was dead. To be absolutely sure, says Li, the officials--from the Linyi region, where she lives, in China's eastern Shandong province--dunked the infant's body for several minutes in a bucket of water beside the bed. All she could think about on that day last spring, recalls Li, was how she would hire a gang of thugs to take revenge on the people who killed her baby because the birth, they said, would have violated China's family-planning scheme.
Since 1980, when China began fully carrying out what is commonly known as the one-child policy, officials in the provinces have often resorted to draconian measures--forced sterilizations and late-term abortions among them--to prevent the country's population of 1.3 billion from expanding into a Malthusian nightmare...
The Communist Party bureaucracy, however, doesn't seem to have caught up with the new law. Despite laxer regulation, the career advancement of local leaders, especially in rural areas, still often depends on keeping birthrates low. "One set of bad population figures can stop an official from getting promoted," says Tu Bisheng, a Beijing legal activist who has helped document abuses related to the one-child policy.
At a provincial meeting last year, Linyi officials were castigated for having the highest rate of extra births in all of Shandong, according to lawyers familiar with the situation. The dressing-down galvanized what appears to be one of the most brutal mass sterilization and abortion campaigns in years. Starting in March, family-planning officials in Linyi's nine counties and three districts trawled villages, looking to force women pregnant with illegal children to abort, and to sterilize those who already had the maximum allotment of children under the local family-planning policy. According to that regulation, which exists in a similar form in most rural areas, women with a son are not allowed to bear more children, whereas mothers whose first child is handicapped or a girl are allowed to have a second baby.
Many women refused to undergo the procedures. Others hid, often in family members' homes. The crackdown intensified. Relatives of women who resisted sterilization or abortion were detained and forced to pay for "study sessions" in which they had to admit their "wrong thinking," says Teng Biao, an instructor at the China University of Political Science and Law in Beijing, who visited Linyi last month to investigate the coercive campaign. In the Linyi county of Yinan alone, at least 7,000 people were forced to undergo sterilization between March and July, according to lawyers who spoke with local family-planning officials. Several villagers, the lawyers allege, were beaten to death while under detention for trying to help family members avoid sterilization.
Officials in Linyi deny that anything improper has happened. "All these things are either exaggerated, distorted or not based on facts," says an official surnamed Yao (he wouldn't give his full name) at the Linyi municipal family-planning commission...
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