A pet Peeve

I read a book once in which a pet peeve was actually a little creature that followed you around and got underfoot. That's not what this is about but the memory came when I wrote the title and I thought the idea was cute.

This peeve is about "gay marriage" and how some people's political views are completely controlled by their religious views on this subject. Just to set the stage, I want to say that I am straight. 100%, married, kids, the whole 9 yards. But if their is one thing that will get me going it is inequality. I personally tend to lean to the right on most issues, I said most. Actually, when I take almost any political survey I am usually labeled as "Libertarian" but in our system your choices are limited to Rep. or Dem. So I choose the one with the closest fit. I'm more concerned with economic issues than I am about what other people are doing in the privacy of their own bedrooms.

I'm sick and tired of people bitching about how they are against gay marriage politically because it flys in the face of their religious beliefs. The last I heard the United States was a nation of Law not a Theocracy! I normally like Pres. Bush but on this one he really pissed me off. Just because his personal religious beliefs conflict with the idea of gay marriage, he was going to act using his political power to block any legislation granting gay people a legal right to marriage .

Marriage is a legal contract. That's why you don't have to be married in a church, you can if you want but it is not required. The one thing you do have to have is a Marriage License, and where do you obtain one of those? At the f**king county courthouse! A government office!

Suppose in my system of religious doctrine, God doesn't care about who you're having sex with, maybe God only cares that 2 people love each other and want to commit to each other. Why should Pres. Bush's religious beliefs (and some whacked-out Catholics I know) have more pull politically than mine or some gay couple who want to get married? According to the history I learned, religious freedom was a reason why so many people left Europe to come to America 200 years ago. That's why there are still people coming here today from Afghanistan.

I know that the 1st amendment to the Constitution literally says,
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."
-but what about blocking laws that will just ensure that all Americans have equal rights when it comes to marriage?
I don't think that the Founding Fathers could have foreseen this question when they were drafting our Constitution but one speech by James Madison given on June 8, 1789 leads me to believe that the Founders did try to put rules in place to govern possible situations regarding religious freedom that they might not foresee.

Madison stated, "The civil rights of none shall be abridged on account of religious belief or worship, nor shall any national religion be established, nor shall the full and equal rights of conscience be in any manner, or on any pretext, infringed."

The majority of people who are opposed to gay marriage oppose it upon religious grounds! What makes their beliefs any better than someone else's? It's Bullshit!

I'll give you a case in point.

My husband works with a gay couple, 2 guys, they have been together for quite a few years and are both financially successful. These 2 gentlemen adopted 2 children who have serious medical issues to the point that the children were considered 'unadoptable'. They gave these children a loving home and good medical care. But here's the thing, because the guys cannot be 'legally married' they can only have medical coverage from one of the partners. The children have serious, serious medical issues. They require thousands of dollars in medical care a year. How many of the good 'Christians' who oppose gay marriage would be willing to do what they have done? There are some, but not many.

Here's another thing. If one if the above mentioned partners dies, the other, who would still be taking care of these 2 kids, still have all the associated medical bills, gets no pension benefits, because they're not Legally Married.

Did you notice I keep saying LEGALLY, married not religiously married.

It's a legal issue, and it seems to me it would solve more problems than it would cause. Why is it that any uneducated, ignorant, unproductive heterosexual couple in this nation can get married and start popping out kids for the rest of us to pay for, but good, decent, hard working gay people can't have the legal protections that marriage allows?

Like I said before, it's BULLSHIT!
And to you Holy Rollers out there who'll be offended by what I've said,
I ask you, Who made you God?
Who gave you the exclusive right to deal out Judgement?

The United States of America is a nation of LAW! Let's start acting like it. Otherwise, why don't we bring back the Spanish Inquistion and the Taliban to run our government.

Squirrels

Does anyone know of a reliable way to get rid of squirrels?

They have annoyed me before, they tear down my bird feeders and dig holes in the yard, but today they crossed the line.

I have been working in my back yard a lot and if I do say so myself, it looks great! I foresee many cookouts this summer with friends (and yes, the invites will be exclusive!) I planted some new shrubbery in an effort to entice butterflies and hummingbirds to visit. One of these shrubs must be tasty because the darn squirrels decided to dig it up and chew on it! This has never happened before. I am very irritated and Gabe is down-right pissed off because he's the one who choose that bush for the yard.

Squirrels Beware!

I rue the day I got Hobbes de-clawed, he would have made short work of them. Hind sight!

No More Masks

I worked in my yard today. Sometimes exerting yourself in the soil of this Earth is most healing. As I toiled and sweated I also thought. I thought about today, tomorrow and yesterday.

I have always believed that every single person who we meet in our life can teach us something. It may be something small, it may be positive, it may be a lesson on what not to do or how not to be. You just have to pay attention. To learn you also have to be open minded enough to other people's ideas that you can hear them. Anyone who knows me will probably tell you that I'm pretty darn open minded. I have my own ideas and opinions but I'm not going to try to push them on anyone else. If you ask me a question, I'll answer you and we can have a discussion, but I will always preface it by saying, "I think" or "I believe". In recent history I have had to hide or remain silent about many things for fear of offending others. When the day finally came that I did express myself it was as a dam bursting. You can imagine the fall-out.

I'm done wearing masks. I'm just me and if you like me, you like me. If you don't, then just walk away, I'm not going to chase you down and force myself upon you.
I'm me, Candy, and these are some of the things that make me, me:

1. I'm loud
2. I curse like a sailor when upset
3. I like to stay up late and sleep in the next day
4. If I mess up I will be terribly embarrassed and will try to cover by laughing.
5. I have a terrible temper if you push my buttons.
6. I like mastering things other people say I can't
7. I'm vain
8. I really like food, especially sweets
9. Due to 7 & 8 I have to exercise, a lot.
10. I remember everything, mostly what others would like me to forget.
11. I have always had a fascination for weapons, snakes, and big cats.
12. I'm a loyal friend, but you better hold up your end of the bargain!
13. I'm not afraid to say what I think.
14. I can't stand being cold.
15. I would like to have some cosmetic surgery.
16. I wish I could put my brain now into my body at 19.
17. I would probably cut off a finger before I will lie.
18. I'm a cat person, they are nature's perfect hunters.
19. If you slap me I will not turn the other cheek, I'll probably go ballistic.
20. I do not go to church and probably never will.
21. I hate the fact that men are stronger than women, it stinks!
22. Shooting guns is fun, big machine guns especially.
23. I like Alternative Metal music, and they're not all Satanists!
24. I would not hesitate to kill to protect my family if it came to that.
25. I have a wicked and risque sense of humor.

I could go on and on. Like it says in my Bio. I am a Force of Nature and about that easy to comprehend. But I'm the only me I was given. People say that you shouldn't try to change other people. Well, you shouldn't have to change yourself for other people either. All growth should come from within, by personal choice, not by coercion.

I'm me! Love me or Leave me. I'm done wearing masks to please others.

Touched

I believe that we can all be touched by God.

I don't think it matters what religious Dogma you follow, what language you speak, or how you choose to pray. I believe what Einstein believed, God is within us all.

We just have to learn to listen.

When I awoke this morning I knew that things just weren't quite finished yet. Close, but not quite.
My inner voice told me to call my friend Jacki. We talked. I posted "Crystal Clear"

My inner voice tells me that this is finished now. I have done what I needed to do.

Be quiet.

Listen

What is that whisper in the back of your mind?

Crystal Clear

Satan, you almost won! I had almost given up!

Thank you God for good friends, who love me despite all my faults. I am a Truth Seeker and shall forever be. I must just learn to not take things personally and to stay more even keel.

Thank you Jacki!
Thank you!
Thank you!
Thank you!

You have a way of helping me crystallize my thoughts. You make me see the Truth, no matter what it is. You tell me when I'm wrong (pretty often) and you tell me when I'm right. You make me work on my weaknesses while at the same time pointing out my strengths. You help me to face my inner demons all the while singing with the angels! I love you! You are a true friend.

For those of you who have never met Jacki, you should. She's definitely worth knowing. She is a Godly woman, if you attend Fellowship of the Woodlands you have probably met her. God has blessed her with an overabundance of charisma so that she is hard to miss.

She's sharp as a tack when it comes to emotional/social/personal issues. Probably because she has a Master's Degree in Clinical Social Work and worked for years "in the trenches" of a California Hospital.

Did I also mention that she is my personal trainer and neighbor and friend all rolled up into one?

I had a long talk with her tonight. She slapped me around a bit (figuratively speaking), then she picked me up, hugged me and set me down the path to do what is right.

This is what it amounts to....

Sam's Place is a positive forum.

I previously deleted all posts which I had written when in a negative frame of mind.

However....

Negative frame of mind or not, everything that I ever posted was true.

I do not lie!!!

I say that in the most positive sense!

I'm happy now! I am at peace! I have a lot of goals and dreams that I am focused on.

The future is boundless!

Original Intent

When I originally created Sam's Place, I wanted it to be a memorial to and for something I loved. Lately I have strayed from that purpose. I have allowed the darker side of my nature to cast a shadow upon something that was meant to be beautiful. I know myself and know that I have these tendencies, and sometimes things get out of control. Granted, I had some help along the way with certain events and occurrences, but ultimately I am the Master of my own Destiny.

I want anyone who reads this to understand one thing. This was my choice, no one counseled me, no one told me what to do. Changing the tone and content of my Blog was my decision! I have taken a lesson to heart from recent events, you can't let others control and influence your behavior, whether directly or indirectly. This is a lesson I tell my children often, but lately haven't been living myself. I'm living it starting today.

Sam's place will only be a bright and happy place from now on.

Further Reflection

Upon further reflection, I have decided that there has been enough negativity in my life. I want to make my Blog Spot a positive place. I need to work on the glass being half- full so I have deleted every Post that was written from a negative place.

That's how I felt at the time, and everytime I read those posts I relive that rage and it is destroying me.

One Month

It's been 1 month since Sam died. I know it sounds crazy but he was more than a pet to me. He was more like my third child. My In-Laws felt the same way about him. So much so, that every time we went to visit, we were required to bring him.

I used to joke that he was a dog in cat's clothing. He would always, always come when called. No matter were he was in the house or what he was doing. He always came and sat at the table with us at every meal. He never begged for food, he would just sit there as if he just wanted to be included. Everyone who came to my door, would be greeted by him, and if they didn't acknowledge that he was there, he would stand on his hind legs and paw at them. He was a large cat, so even on adults he could usually reach your waist.

He was a great cat, a cat, yes, but a great one. He was perfect. He was always ready to jump into my lap and purr. Many a time, he was my comfort when I felt most alone. Supplying me with unconditional love.

I cried tonight for him. Chris and I cried. We miss him. The new cats are good, they're fun. They run and play and tussle. They have their own good points, but they will never be Sam.

I look back at the month of February and wonder if I had noticed his change in behavior sooner, could we have saved him? I was so wrapped up in my own personal problems that it took me days to realize he was hiding in the closet almost all the time. If I had been less selfish would he be here today purring on my lap? I'll never know. These are questions of what might have been, never to be answered in this life. I always just assumed he would be with us longer. When the end came, it was so sudden. I guess that's an object lesson. Don't take for granted that what you love will be there tomorrow. Things can change in the blink of an eye.