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hot with a juicy pink center (half-done)

I saw a variation of this on Jenn’s blog and thought it would be fun (& easy) excuse for a post…

(Quotes grabbed from Charmaine’s blog.)

“To live is so startling it leaves little time for anything else.”
~ Emily Dickinson

Bold the activities you have done.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band (not unless you count the off-Broadway productions my sister, cousins & I put on in the basement as a kid)
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland (& Disney World)
8. Climbed a mountain (eh, I don’t think what I climbed technically qualified)
9. Held a praying mantis (no, never actually considered picking the thing up. I’ve seen several up close & personal.)
10. Sang a solo (Used to cantor at church!)
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child (2 cats, but no humans)
16. Had food poisoning (Curses to the tainted tomatoes of Memorial Day weekend, 2007)
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train (not on an overnight one… but the trip from Luca to Pisa at 6 am lulled me to a nap.)
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb (petted, but not held)
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run (in the neighbor’s front yard)
32. Been on a cruise (Honeymoon)
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community.
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David (AWEsome. Seriously.)
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant (in the drive-thru — see the Drive-Thru Difference)
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted (Drawn by an ex as practice for class — being painted is different, though…)
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma (Tried. Does that count? They don’t want my anemic red stuff.)
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check (Thank goodness for overdraft protection.)
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square (on New Year’s Eve, no less!)
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle (Rode on a motorcycle with my grandpap, but that was hardly “speeding.”)
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book (a chapbook, technically, but still, the same process, just a shorter product)
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible (probably, but not straight through, so I’m not sure.)
86. Visited the White House (saw it in person from the road, but didn’t walk in.)
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life (not that I know of)
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby (twice!)
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit (not unless you count “class action.”)
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

“And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.”
~ Abraham Lincoln

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Give Green Greenly

Just a quick plug for a worthy cause…

In a tight economy, the people who feel the pinch the tightest are those who are already hugging the poverty line. Now, as a general rule, I am personally for smaller government, less welfare, fewer federal fingers in the mix. The yang of that yin is the responsibility for the private sector — individuals, corporations, churches, etc. — to help out our neighbors in whatever way we can.

About a year ago I discovered DonorsChoose.org. (Actually, I think I found it because Steven Colbert mentioned it.) DonorsChoose.org allows donors to help children by funding specific projects and programs (which you select based on YOUR preferences) posted on the site. Any teacher can attest to the personal investment that teaching requires, from long hours to emotional involvement to financial strain. I encourage you to visit DonorsChoose.org and find a request that interests YOU.

Likewise, I’m a fan of Angel Tree (and the parent organization, Prison Fellowship). I believe it’s important that the child not be punished for the sins of the father…or mother. For the same reason, I financially support Feminists For Life as well. Of course, I encourage you to find an organization that agrees with your priorities.

Because this is a tight economy, charities are being squeezed especially. Households are having trouble making ends meet, so they’re less likely to toss change into the Salvation Army bucket. That’s not to say we don’t want to help. With that in mind, consider giving the eco-friendly gift of honorary donations this Christmas (or whichever holiday you celebrate): give the gift of giving.

You’ll feel good about it, as will both of the gift recipients.

And if green is your thing, you can feel good about the fact that charitable donations (depending on the charity) are often tax deductible (saving you green)… and free of superfluous packaging.

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"Not quite dead yet!"

I haven’t forgotten all you wonderful folks in blogland. Nor have I forgotten your questions and comments on my previous post. Life’s just been a bit crazy. But I’m not quite dead yet!

Since my last post I’ve…

  • finished Halloween costumes
  • celebrated 3 nights of Halloween with the boys
  • made a delicious pesto cheese ball… that looked like a gigantic eyeball.
  • cooked fresh butternut & acorn squash for the first time (and realized how badly I need a quality kitchen knife)
  • laid out the majority of the upcoming issue of SMR
  • spent 1 hr & 50 minutes waiting to vote
  • voted
  • watched more than enough election coverage
  • listened in on a motivating and inspiring post-election pro-life teleconference
  • done massive amounts of laundry
  • written a few poems
  • packed
  • driven 400 miles north to VA with the boys
  • played at a playground with other kids
  • made yummy soup with my sister & cousin, shared it with more family
  • finally played Apples to Apples
  • spent even more wonderful quality (though sorta rushed) time with family
  • driven 400 miles back home (so much longer…)
  • actually slept
  • gotten in touch with the Respect Life coordinator at a local parish… time to do more than write.
  • moved to a new office
  • done a mystery shop
  • gone to the dentist

… and tonight, I have a date with my G.P. regarding something too disgusting to blog about.

I haven’t forgotten…

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Talk about Ugly part 1: Terms of Life

As I had expected, my previous post struck some nerves, apparently. And also as I had expected, it has raised more questions and debate than it laid to rest. At this point, I intend to elaborate on my previous “Big Ugly” abortion post in three additional posts focusing on specific angles: a primer of terms (this post), misconceptions, and the law of it. Of course, I encourage and welcome discussion. (Just forgive me if I am slow to respond since the next couple days (and weeks) will be pretty busy for me.)

Terms of Life

In order to help minimize arguments based on semantics, I would like to clarify some of the terms generally tossed around relating to the abortion debate.

Abortion – Wikipedia defines abortion as “the termination of a pregnancy by the removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus from the uterus, resulting in or caused by its death.” Though an abortion can occur naturally due to complications, I will use it solely to refer to induced abortions. Should the subject of a natural or spontaneous abortion arise, I will refer to it as a “miscarriage.”

Pro-Life – Generally used interchangeably with anti-abortion, pro-life traditionally refers specifically to human life. Wikipedia states: “The term describes the political and ethical view which maintains that fetuses and embryos are human beings, and therefore have a right to live.” I have heard arguments that individuals are personally concurrently pro-life and pro-choice; for the sake of clarity, let’s limit “pro-life” to the belief that all human life, from conception to natural death, should be protected by law.

Pro-Choice – According to Wikipedia, pro-choice as the “view that a woman should have complete control over her fertility and the choice to continue or terminate a pregnancy.” As I state above, some people claim to be pro-life and pro-choice concurrently; for the sake of clarity, I will limit “pro-choice” to refer to those who believe a woman’s productive “rights” should be protected over the rights of an unborn child.

Pro-Abortion – In favor of abortion. Generally, this term is used interchangeably with pro-choice. I have found, however, that most pro-choice people are not actually in favor of abortion itself, just the “right” for “someone else” to have one. In the event that it comes up in this or subsequent blogs, it will refer specifically to proponents of abortion. Like maybe this guy.

Types of Abortion
Please note this is by no means comprehensive!

Medical Abortion – Abortion by means of drugs or a combination of drugs.

Surgical Abortion – This is the ending of a pregnancy by surgical means, such as MVA, D&C, Saline Abortion or Partial Birth Abortion.

Late-Term Abortion – As the term suggests, a Late-Term Abortion is an abortion performed late in the pregnancy. Sources differ in what “late” refers to, with some stating “after 12 weeks,” others saying “after 16 weeks,” and the majority stating it refers to “after 20 weeks.” Should the issue come up, I will consider it to mean “after 20 weeks gestation.”

Partial Birth Abortion – Formally known as intact dilation and extraction or IDX, partial birth abortion has been used for late-term abortions.

Saline Abortion – Saline Abortion is a term occasionally used to refer to the broader term “Instillation abortion.” Instillation abortion is a method used during the second and third trimesters, by injecting a chemical (such as saline) solution into the amniotic fluid to cause uterine contractions. The chemical solution burns the baby before causing the mother to expel the child.

Manual Vacuum aspiration (MVA) – Abortion by means of a vacuum used to literally suck the baby from the mother’s womb. This is the most common type of abortion and is generally used in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.

Dilation and curettage (D&C) – According to Wikipedia, D&C is “the second most common method of abortion, is a standard gynecological procedure performed for a variety of reasons, including examination of the uterine lining for possible malignancy, investigation of abnormal bleeding, and abortion.” This is generally limited to the first trimester or approximately 13 weeks of pregnancy.

Selected Related Law and Legislation


Roe V. Wade – The landmark Supreme Court decision of January 22, 1973, which has shaped debate about abortion in America ever since. Google it for the details if you’re not familiar with it, or click the term for the Wikipedia entry.

Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) – Wikipedia sums up the FOCA as “a bill in the United States Congress which, if enacted, would abolish all restrictions and limitations on the right of women in the United States to have an abortion, whether at the State or Federal level.” By eliminating all restrictions and limitations, the FOCA would also “nullify the types of abortion laws that the Supreme Court has said are permitted under Roe v. Wade.” (Johnson)

Born Alive Infants Protection Act – An act of Congress to protect infants who were born alive as a result of an induced abortion.

Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act (PBA Ban) – A United States law prohibiting abortion by means of IDX.

Stay tuned for “Talk about Ugly pt. 2: misConceptions.”