day dreaming

So there's this house... I mentioned it a few posts back. It's an updated farm house, though it's still in city limits (but in a great school district). There's a pond wayyyy down the hill. There are abandoned apple trees to the east. There's a barn.
Jim could invite his band friends there to play in the band.
The lot is big enough that we could have a few hens.
Imagine the vegetable garden! And we could plant more fruit trees. It's on 2 acres.
The inside... yup, I could see us there.

But, it's a teeny bit more than what we'd like to pay, and even though it's updated, it would likely still need some extra time, attention, and money. So, I'm telling myself awful things about the place:

-the grass isn't actually plant material, it's little green spikes of lead.
-the fireplace is full of rabid raccoons.
-the pond has a zombie graveyard nearby
-the barn is full of vipers
-the house's well is full of poison and septic backs up every 8th of the month

18% of Americans may think I'm Muslim

I haven't been very political here lately. Okay, with the exception of last week, I haven't been anything here lately. But this whole mosque at Ground Zero thing... geez.

I hope that the fact that our President said that Muslims have the right to build a mosque close to the former site of the Twin Towers in NYC continues to be a major issue in the news.

Our President. Supporting the Constitution. You know... like we hired him to do.

He didn't say it was a good idea (and I don't think it is - I don't want to watch the news on the night that it's been car bombed). He affirmed that the beliefs and right to worship of the Muslim people is as protected as any other faith in our country.

And suddenly 18% of Americans think he's Muslim. Uh... folks? Remember when we were all upset over the remarks of his former minister? Reverend Wright, associated with the United Church of Christ...? Christ as in Christian? Just sayin'...

I believe that an Islamic Community Center and Mosque has the same right to be built in this area as any other establishment.

A quick Google of "what is two blocks from Ground Zero" found me this. There are chain fast food shops, independent delis, strip clubs, and little stores being run by Americans. Similar to many other blocks and neighborhoods in cities. So, America continues beyond the 16 acres where we were all riveted nearly 9 years ago. Geographically. Chronologically.

How far away from the tragedy is appropriate? Not 2 blocks? How about 4? Not in the same city? Are we practicing segregation again?

Please, please let this issue continue. Please let someone wonderful give a civics lesson as a reminder that America needs to remember itself. That our young nation was started as a colony of people escaping religious persecution. That our founders gave their children the freedom to believe and practice as they chose, and rights (waving a finger at those looking to repeal the 14th Amendment) to carry on, and that's how we got here.

I embrace differences of opinion so long as they remain logical and legal. But Americans who wave the flag - my flag - and scream about how a place to worship would be a slap in the face to Americans and those who died in the towers don't seem so patriotic.

Every religion has extremists. Every group organized around anything has zealots. Germans are not Nazis. Muslims are not terrorists.

Americans, the bigger, better part of Americans, I hope can rise above this fear of "other" and carry on.

versus

Tonight Willa wept because I asked her to go upstairs and get her Frog and Toad anthology so Jim could read Henry a story from it. They've been making their way through the book; I didn't know that when I brought it to her room.
She cried, and pouted, and flung herself to the floor, wailing, "I wanted to read it tonight."
She only has about 80 other books in her shelves.
By the time she brushed her teeth, and we brushed her hair, Jim and Henry were done with the book, I handed it to her, asking her to take it up.
She and I went to her room. She happily jumped into bed. I asked her where the book was. She said, "um... I think I left it downstairs. That's okay, we can read something else."

These two have hit the rivalry stage hard. They argue over everything: parental affection, who gets to walk out the front door first, who gets the red cup, who likes Arlo more... it's exhausting.
On the other hand, when they're buddies, watching them hug and giggle and actively appreciate each other makes it all worth it.

moving

I mentioned that we're boxing up things around the house to make it appear that our home is not cluttered (it is) and that it's possible to live here with 2 kids, 2 dogs, and 2 adults with a good organization system (it's not).

The house isn't officially on the market yet. Maybe this week.

Can I tell you a few things we've run into during the start of this process?
-first realtor we spoke to came to our house, and spoke to Jim for 15 minutes before even looking at me, let along speaking... not a great impression.
-first house we went to look at - for fun - apparently suffered an earthquake centered in its basement. There was a giant crack in the whole house, and the wall of the basement hung a good eight inches from the floor. No, thanks.
- we looked at another house that gave me daydreams about a greenhouse after looking at its online profile. That realtor was really kind in meeting us the next day to show us around. He showed up wearing an oversized (stained) oxford shirt which he did not tuck into his corduroy cut-off shorts.
I wasn't so impressed with the professionalism with realtors until we met the woman we're likely to sign papers with this week. She's positive, and realistic, and warm, and I like her. Also, she shook my hand at meeting, and wasn't wearing cut-offs.
Today, we puttered around town in the Sinkimobile with a list of houses we liked. At the second house, I got out to walk around the (empty) house. I got to the side and noticed my feet, and then legs were suddenly really itchy. I looked down and saw 20 bees on one sandal. I ran out, jumping and yelping. Jim came out of the car, and swatted some away with his hat. I had both sandals off and - after noticing about a zillion more on the hem of my long skirt - yanked my skirt off in the driveway. I have a lot of bites, an antihistamine cream seems to be helping, but every so often I feel like someone is holding a flaming needle to my skin.
When I got in the car (pretty much right after publicly disrobing) Willa told me she thought I was doing a funny dance, and then she thought that Jim was hitting me.
That house is off the list (pretty much no yard).
We did see one that I'm currently daydreaming about. There's a barn! And a pond!

Recess

Hey friends! So, it's been nearly a month since my last post. We've been busy trying to stay cool, and celebrating my Grandpa's 90th birthday, and boxing up nonessentials in preparation to eventually sell the HQ. Mostly we've been enjoying each other, good produce, and the beauty of a Michigan summer. I'll get you all caught up soon. Hugs and kisses.