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My old digital camera finally bit the dust. Well, technically it still works but it delivers really hazy looking pictures so it had to go. I didn’t want to spend a fortune so I got a new red Samsung for $100 and so far so good!
Here is a picture of Princess Paige:
I read an interesting article from the New York Times today. You see I am a fish out of water here in Ohio which is full of conservative Christian, Republicans.
While I suppose I was raised rather conservative I have evolved into a quite a bleeding heart liberal and my views of Christianity have adpated too and gotten more liberal. Now there ARE some things that I am rather conservative about…like my view of abortion..it is NEVER acceptable. But on a great many other things…like gay marriage…I am all for love and peace and doing what you feel is best for you and your family. What you do in your bedroom is none of my business!
I found it extremely interesting that liberals tend to stay married longer and in fact the worst states for divorce rates are Bible belt states with large populations of Republicans.
Here is a quote from the article:
If blue states care less about moral values, why are divorce rates so low in the bluest of the blue states? It’s a question that intrigues conservatives, as much as it emboldens liberals.
As researchers have noted, the areas of the country where divorce rates are highest are also frequently the areas where many conservative Christians live.
Kentucky, Mississippi and Arkansas, for example, voted overwhelmingly for constitutional amendments to ban gay marriage. But they had three of the highest divorce rates in 2003, based on figures from the Census Bureau and the National Center for Health Statistics.
The lowest divorce rates are largely in the blue states: the Northeast and the upper Midwest. And the state with the lowest divorce rate was Massachusetts, home to John Kerry, the Kennedys and same-sex marriage.
In 2003, the rate in Massachusetts was 5.7 divorces per 1,000 married people, compared with 10.8 in Kentucky, 11.1 in Mississippi and 12.7 in Arkansas.
Well, I am sure some people would be mad at me for saying this but in Ohio there is more emphasis on religion than education. I understand the reasons behind this but…
“The higher the educational level, higher the occupational level, higher the income, the less likely you are to divorce,” said William V. D’Antonio, a sociologist at the Catholic University of America, pointing out that Massachusetts has the highest rate of high school and college completion.
It is too common here to see kids in conservative Christian families ignore schooling, decline secondary education, and then be forced to take a nothing job to support the big family they have within just a few years of leaving highschool. What is wrong with getting a good education, getting a larger understanding of the world and the people in it, and then settling down to start a family with a good job.
These states also teach sexual abstinence before marriage. Now this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I followed this prinicpal myself and it worked out great. I married a good man. But I have a family member that really should have lived with and REALLY gotten to know his wife before marriage because their union was disasterious with a capital D and the “truth” only came to light after many months of marriage. Sex wasn’ the answer but how well can you really know someone until you live with them?
Most of the Republicans I have met here are also VERY rigid in their thinking and they are abrasive to ANY new ideas. Liberals like progress and evolution.
I also speculate that liberal tolerance is another big reason they divorce less. They are passionate but they are tolerant. They live and let live and not everything has to be “by the book”.
It reminds me of a cute song from Wow Wow Wubzy…one of my daughter’s favorit songs. I will leave this post with the lyrics:
It’s good to do things the proper way
But if it goes wrong that’s okay
If it’s not right, don’t be uptight
It doesn’t have to be by the book
By the book…By the book
It doesn’t have to be by the book
If you’re out to have some fun but you find there is no sun
It’s okay, enjoy the day
Even if it’s not by the book
If you want to play a game but the pieces aren’t the same
There’s a way for you to play
Even if it’s not be by the book
By the book…By the book
It doesn’t have to be by the book
If the recipe calls for Doodleberry Jam…Doodleberry Jam!
But all you have is Polka-Dot Ham…Polka-Dot Ham!
It’s not a waste
Enjoy the taste
Cuz it doesn’t have to be by the book
When you’re building something cool but you don’t have the right tool
It is fine to re-design
It doesn’t have to be by the book
If you have a fancy hat but you find it’s rather flat
Don’t be blue, try something new
It doesn’t have to be by the book
By the book…By the book
It doesn’t have to be by the book
It’s good to do things the proper way
But if it goes wrong that’s okay
If it’s not right, don’t be uptight
It doesn’t have to be by the book
According to Bankrate the top ten money drains are:
1. Coffee
2. Cigarettes
3. Alcohol
4. Bottled Water
5. Manicures
6. Car Washes
7. Weekday Lunches Out
8. Vending Machine Snacks
9. Interest Charges On Credit Cards
10. Unused Memberships
Wohoo! None of them apply to me. I don’t drink coffee, I would never touch a cigarette, a rarely drink alcohol, bottled water is just glorified tap water, I am too much of a tom boy for manicures, I wash my car myself, I cook at home, and don’t have any credit cards or unused memberships.
My two favorite ways to save are to buy in bulk for a discount and to order from co-ops. This week I really stocked up on my bulk purchases at Costco and through a Frontier co-op. I have lots of storage space and two refrigerators and two freezers so this works well for me. At Costco some of my best finds were:
FruitaBu Organic Smooshed Fruit Rolls - I got these for .10 cents a piece and they sell retail for .62 cents. I bought about 10 cases.
Rice - Pennies per serving.
12 Packs of organic chocolate milk - Saved $3.00 per case.
Turkey Sausages with no hromones or antibiotics - Saved $1.00 for every six pack.
Through Frontier I order a new gourd for Yerba Mate and a new bombilla and alot of organic carob mint yerba mate. I got some candy apple tea for the kids, kids vitamins, natural deodorant, organic bar soaps, and some Burts Bees. All of it was 50% off retail price. There is just no reason to use the conventional and more toxic products when you can get these prices!
My baby is a year and half now. Please someone tell me how to slow time down!
And with Paige….
A little over a year ago I bought my kids an inflatable bounce house to use outdoors. Well, that was a major pain in the butt. It kept getting muddy when it rained and covered in grass whenver we mowed. It also killed the grass underneath it. Since we moved it has been in a box…until today. We put it up in the basement…providing a cool indoor retreat for the kiddos to play.
Also I wanted to show you my latest garage sale finds for the kids!
A wooden sled that is like new with a leather pad ($10.00):
And a big wheel bike ($5.00):
Carrie tagged me! So here are 8 random things about me. Let see if I can come up with some different answers I have already done this meme once before on my NatureMoms blog.
1. My earliest memories are of being in the front seat of race cars. Both my mom and dad were professional drag racers when they met and married.
2. I got married in Las Vegas. I also honeymooned there…at the Bellagio.
3. All through my tween years I wanted to marry Axl Rose from Guns N Roses.
4. My first concert was Bon Jovi when I was 16. I went with my mom.
5. I am a BIG time movie buff. New movies come out on Tuesdays and it is rare that I don’t buy at least one. I have over over 1500 DVDs. Right now I am going through an English classic phase…Sense and Sensibility, Emma, The Painted Veil, and every version of Pride and Prejudice I can get my hands on.
6. I am not so big on TV but I do like Traveler, Smallville, and Clean House. I like to watch Clean House marathons while I clean my own house on Saturdays. I also really like Big Love about a polygamist family. I have TiVo though so I watch on my own schedule…usually late at night.
7. I LOVE to read. I just finished reading the Dark Materials series. I read all three books in three days. Next up will probably be Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman. This fiction run is pretty rare though. I like non-fiction books.
8. I turn 30 this Saturday! 
That’s all folks!
The first edition of The Natural Family Living Blog Carnival has lots of posts near to my heart. ALL the posts were great but I especially liked Carrie’s post on Eating Organic on a budget, Kevin’s post on eating local, the Cake Stand post from Mel, and 100 Ways to Cut Wedding Costs which actually sounded like a blueprint for a frugal and green wedding.
This was a great edition for those interested in frugality AND natural living.
