Do you have to be Humane to Be Human?

I had a thought while watching the news the other day. Do you have to possess a degree of humanity in your soul to be human? The evil ones that walk among us, looking like normal humans.... You know the murderers, the pedophiles, the people who don't have any moral compass? Do we really need to show them the same degree of sympathy and humanity when they don't show it to the rest of us. Why do we let the evil walk among us. When we know they are likely to re offend we set them free, we give them another chance. We show outrage that they commit crimes again when we knew it was likely to happen. When will we start to realize that mental disease of all types is not a choice. Mental illness is a disease or defect of the brain. It can be caused by experience forming pathways that lead to bad behavior or organic problems that have developed in the brain. I have no issue with trying to "cure" people of evil intent, of lack of morality, of inhumanity....but please DO NOT let evil walk among us!

On that note, when looking for a house, PLEASE if you have children review the database online of registered sex offenders and use this information when making a choice of what home you buy. Being forewarned is forearmed! www.nsopr.gov the search is free. You can also contact your local sheriff or police department. It is their duty to provide this information to help keep us safe.

When Government Works for Us....

When we see tangible evidence of our government working for us it is an amazing thing. With all the chaos in Haiti, our Congressman was absolutely instrumental in bringing my nephew Isaac home. Not only did he have a staff person dedicated 24 hours a day to making Isaac's homecoming happen, he actually took the time to visit my sister's family and meet Isaac himself. This was not just a "photo" op, no media was present, just family and he sat and had cookies and lemonade and talked. It is nice in this era when we all have so little faith in those in public office to see someone caring to make a difference. Someone who takes the time to meet the needs of one family and one small boy a world away.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes....

I have finally made some big changes...I have moved from my old company to Connect Realty. I think this will be a great fit for me. More technology support, great people and more flexibility with my schedule. I have also moved my Diego horse to a new barn where I have more time to begin more intense training. I am still at www.newsongstables.com for training and LOVE it, but this puts Diego where I have less distractions. Dare I say this may be a great year for all things HORSE and HOUSE! On a very sad note, we had to say goodbye to two great ladies in our lives. The first (and far most important) was my dear husband's mother. She will be greatly missed. Ruth was the anchor of the family and there has been much sadness at her passing. The second was Zoe's pony Cynder-Ella. Cynder battled kidney disease for several months and seemed to go downhill pretty quickly. Zoe mourns her passing all the more intensely because it coincided with the passing of her dear Nanna. I still remember the passing of my own first pony "Flags". I hope I dealt with the situation with more grace than my own parents, but it is a very hard thing.

A Twist

In another bizarre twist, Bob and Issac got stuck at this lovely resort in the Bahamas....Hmmmm.....Funny how things work out! They are back in the air today and hopefully the tiny four seater plane they are on will encounter smooth air to Florida.

They are on The WAY HOME!

Bobby and Isaac are on the way home. A last minute approval came through for them to get on a missionary flight out of Cap Haitian. They should be arriving in Florida sometime this evening and on a flight home to the Northwest in the morning. The road to get them home has been paved with the sweat and tears of many. Kristen at Congressman Rick Larsen's office in Washington State deserves a big hug and kudos for all of her hard work. Rick Larsen himself took a personal interest in getting Isaac out of Haiti. I will post in a separate post my rants about who of our elected officials were NOT HELPFUL, but right now it is just a celebration that after 3 1/2 years this little boy will know what it is like to have a home!

A Plan? Plan A?

So, we will call this Plan A. It is a "by the seat of your pants" very Haitian style plan. As luck would have it, Bobby (who looks a bit like Jesus) sat next to some relief workers on the plane ride to Cap Haitian. They plan to hire some ARMED GUARDS to escort them across the length of Haiti to Port Au Prince (I am envisioning Rambo, but more likely they will look like this....)

Not that there is anything wrong with a guy with a machete. Especially when he is on your side! But I would be much happier if some really tough guys were in charge of my beloved brother in law and nephews safety....Like maybe these defenders of the free world (snicker, snicker, snicker). Well, the least our former president can do is help get the orphans safely out of Haiti. I mean, Isaac is no longer an ORPHAN. He has a family. AS DO MANY of the waiting children. Why should an American citizen have to risk his life to get his child out of a dangerous country. A country that we have been designated "in charge of security" in this devastating time. A much better plan (or a great alternate to PLAN A) is to let Bobby and Isaac fly out of Cap Haitian to Ft. Lauderdale where Isaac's paperwork and Visa could easily be processed by USCIS or the Department of Homeland security. Pray to your God, Call the USCIS or Department of Homeland security and let them know we want our children HOME NOW and home safely with a minimum of risk to human life.

Red Tape and No Answers

"It is once again my job to be the barrier of bad news. Another day come and gone and no change. Despite extensive Congressional support and all of your calls to your Members of Congress we have hit roadblock after roadblock. At this point we respectfully ask that you stop contacting your Members of Congress requesting their assistance with obtaining security, transportation, and water for the location. The Department of State has not and apparently will not provide the small assistance that we have requested.

Given the current circumstances, at this point we are recommending that someone from each orphanage escort the children who qualify for humanitarian parole or adoption visas to the U.S. Embassy in Port-A-Prince. We recommend that the orphanage staff arrive with the children and any adoption paperwork that has not been destroyed as early as possible in the morning in order to attempt to obtain visas or parole for the children. Please understand that this option may not be considered safe and that the U.S. Embassy did not allow some orphanages onto the premises today. Additionally, please note that it has been reported that there is no food, water or facilities for the children to use while at the Embassy. As noted during our conference call earlier today, these are our recommendations only and should not be used to replace your or your orphanage director's good judgement.

It is our understanding that any children processed by USCIS in Port-A-Prince are leaving on U.S. cargo jets to locations that are not often know until a hour or so before the flight leaves. At times children have left Haiti without the knowledge of their adoptive parents.

This is currently the worst case scenario for the children's well-being and safety but at the moment there are no other options.

As we receive more information we will continue to share it with you. While the situation at the moment is terrible I can only hope that our collective efforts produce some positive news. Despite the roadblocks Joint Council has not given up on the save haven and we continue to advocate for its creation and a more transparent and safe process in uniting these children with their adoptive families."

Why can't we put human life first????

One Big Relief and the Oddness of Life....

I awoke this morning and immediately checked www.loveachild.com for updates on the status of the orphanage that Clepson lives in. I was SO relieved to find that they have accepted the UN in to their compound and will be continuing their ministry as the UN uses the large property to set up a hospital and recovery tents for the wounded. It is a huge blessing to know that Sherry, Bobby, Bob and Carole and the children and staff will all have good security as the conditions in PAP worsen and many people take to the countryside.

Bobby and Sherry Burnette are two of the most optimistic people I have ever encountered. They are able to see God's blessings in the worst situations. When I received an email from Bobby that said they were living in Hell, I knew conditions were grim. I feared greatly for the safety of the people that I have come to know and love. As bad as the situation is on the news and as much as we all feel a great sadness, it is MUCH MUCH MUCH worse to know a child like Clepson is in the midst of such a huge tragedy. I worried for his safety, I worried for his health (and will continue to do so as disease spreads). To know that young, strong military men will be securing the perimeter of their compound is such a HUGE relief. Please go to the Love a Child website and read how six years ago it was predicted by their Haitian minister that this type of situation would happen.....

The Adventures of Bobby in Haiti

My brother in law is currently en route to Haiti. He will be picking up my new nephew. You know, the one they have been in the process of adopting for the LAST THREE AND ONE HALF years! This story will be complicated.... first of all, my brother in law looks a little bit like Jesus. He is flying in to the North Coast of Haiti. He will travel by car to the orphanage and meet his son for the first time. Isaac seems to be a bright and sassy young man. I am sure they will have a lot in common. Then Bobby will travel, somehow, down south to Port Au Prince... You know, the place that just fell down. The place with stacks of decaying bodies. The place with no food, no water, and ripe for disease. Bobby travels with donated water purifing systems that will hopefully help some of the poor people of Haiti. He will hopefully stay safe, he will hopefully be coming home soon. With little Isaac Patrick.....Stay tuned!

Pray for Haiti

First, Clepson is fine. Sherry and Bobby at Love a Child were kindly very quick to respond to my email about their safety. The orphanage in Fond Parisian was spared and all the employees and children were scared, but fine. Unfortuantely, five of the older children were being housed in a home in Petionville. This was directly on a fault line. They need your prayers. Sherry and Carole (the nurse at love a child) have gone to try to find out if they are ok. No word yet. Donations should be directed to www.loveachild.com I know this organization is very reputable and will spend the money where it is most needed. 800 employees at Doctors Without Borders are unaccounted for. Their three hospitals all sustained a great deal of damage and are unusable. The Medical Advocacy Team is putting together a team of medical persons to go down and help. Email Sarah at sisters3designs@aol.com if you can help. Sarah was in the news today. For more on her story check out http://www.momlogic.com/2010/01/my_4-year-old_son_is_trapped_in_haiti.php My nephew Isaac was within Days of coming home and now must wait!

Hard Answers to EASY Questions

It is so normal for people to make assumptions in making judgments on important issues. Take for instance, Horse Slaughter.....Sounds BAD. We love horses. They are noble beasts. True, they are livestock, a bit like CATTLE, but they evoke an emotion in most people that is more akin to the family dog. For without horses our path to civilization would be far different. So we vote and petition to make slaughter of horses in the U.S. illegal.... And then, we offer no alternatives. So the horses that can no longer be cared for, the horses that people can't afford to feed. The "bad" ones have no home. We euthenize cats and dogs at our local humane society. But, what do they do with the horses. The local horses that are being turned loose in empty fields and left with no food, no shelter, no water at times. These horses become a public charge. OR they slowly die,

yes,

That is SO much more humane. Breeders keep breeding. At the high end they produce better sport horses that excel in many disciplines. On the low end, they produce horses that don't even sell for the minimum bid of $5 at the local auction house. Sales of even nice young horses are slow to nonexistant. It costs about $5000 per year to house and feed a young horse. And that is if nothing goes wrong. Veterinary bills mount quickly. So your bargain youngster is a big investment and must be chosen carefully. Some great breeder friends of mine have wonderful babies for sale. The prices are a BARGAIN and they are willing to house the horses at a minimal rate until they are ready to ride. If you are looking for a future star, drop me an email or comment and I will happily send you their way!

Mercy

What does MERCY mean to you. It reminds me of wrestling as a kid and feeling the pain and suffocation of my cousins and siblings bearing down on my chest.... we would cry MERCY! The rush of air and coolness after the struggle, that is MERCY to me.

Mercy is also the name of a little girl. A small girl with a ragged smile. Her teeth are broken from falling. She falls because she has seizures. There are NO NEUROSURGEONS in her ENTIRE country. She needs help....sigh....she needs relief, she needs MERCY. This little girls condition is getting worse.

My good friend Kim is holding a raffle for an Ipod Touch to raise funds for Mercy's travel to the U.S. for lifesaving surgery. Please visit their website http://berriesnhoney.blogspot.com/2009/10/mighty-to-save.html.

So, if you have wanted an Ipod Touch, are touched by Mercy's story or just feel generous, please go make a donation. I know I will! This little girl has a long stuggle ahead of her and a long journey from Uganda to make to find her own version of MERCY.

They Could Use a little HELP people!

Our local Northwest Therapeutic riding center has a great fundraiser Nov. 7. The event is called Denim and Diamonds and features a great banquet and live and silent auction. They are accepting any donations for the auction and reservations for the banquet. You can check out their website at www.NWTRC.org You can win a pony.... I know a great trainer.....

2009 DENIM TO DIAMONDS AUCTION DINNER

Chincoteague pony for the NWTRC

On Saturday, November 7, the NorthWest Therapeutic Riding Center is sponsoring the 6th annual "Denim to Diamonds" dinner/auction at the Elks Lodge, 710 Samish Way. Doors open at 5:30 PM. Audra Schroeder of the Cascade Radio Group will be the MC for the evening. Pamela Cady is the auction chair.

"We are really excited to have Arawn, a 4 year old Chincoteague pony, to bid on at this year’s fundraiser," said Julia Bozzo, executive director of the NorthWest Therapeutic Riding Program. We are accepting qualified written bids prior to our dinner/auction fundraiser on November 7th as well as during that evening. Reserve bid begins at $2,500.00. Arawn may be previewed (by appointment) at the breeding farm, Canrydd Stables, www.canryddstables.com. For bid information or to preview pony, contact Julia at nwtrc@premier1.net, or call 360-966-2124.

ARAWN is a 2005 black-bay gelding. He has an exceptionally nice temperament and is a fantastic mover. He is handled daily, has been backed, lounges very well and goes nicely over poles. Arawn should mature at 14.2, and has potential to develop into a wonderful performer at any discipline. He’ll make a gentle, quiet companion and willing partner for a child or adult.

Breed: Purebred Chincoteague Pony
Registration: Can be registered with the NCPA
Height: 14.1 hands
Foaled: 4/6/05
Color: Black bay with star and small snip on muzzle
Health: Excellent; all shots and worming current
Training: 5 months professional training
Prospect: Suggesting hunter/jumper

Tickets for the November 7 event are $50.
Please contact Julia Bozzo,
1884 Kelly Rd., Bellingham, WA 98226
360-966-2124
nwtrc@premier1.net.

The Horse Othewise Know as 4....?

If you look at my boy Diego you will notice that he has a big 4 on his right shoulder.....it has been there since birth. I guess it is some sort of birthmark. As he becomes WHITER by the day, the 4 stands out more clearly. It dawned on me today that maybe he is like "the artist formerly known as Prince" and would like to be known as 4.....What do you think? Is it a SIGN?

When we Need Help...

http://nieniedialogues.blogspot.com/ I have a secret pass-time... I read blogs that I find inspirational. Blogs that make me feel small. Blogs that make me wonder what the purpose of my life is. Blogs that make me want to slow down, look at my children's faces. Enjoy the moments.

Have you ever had a moment so perfect that you stopped. You stopped and thought...REMEMBER ...the feel of the sun, the wind, the smell, the look of your loved one's expression.....I want more of these moments in my life. I wish I was a mom who took more pictures. Who carried my camera and captured those moments in more than my ever fading memory.

I every mom would reach out to others and ask for the help they need. Where did we all decide that we are failures if we ask for a hand. I have BEEN there. We ALL have been there. It is not failure to reach out and take help that has been offered. It is a cultural WIERDNESS that Mom's want to do it all themselves. We often need help, we seldom ask for it. ASK ME IF YOU NEED A HAND, I will be happy to help and I will then feel open to Ask you to help me.......

I Never Wanted to Be That Girl....

That girl who didn't have her act together. That girl who struggled. That girl who didn't make this world a better place.

When we dream of what we will be when we grow up it all seems so easy. It seems like we just have to follow a straight path from A to B and the world will bend to our will. It hasn't really happened that way for me!

I grew up as the "smart one". I was the middle sister. Smack between the Sporty one and the Pretty one. Our family also included the number one, and often-times prodigal son. We were all raised to believe we could have it all.

I wanted to be a doctor. DEFINITELY not a lawyer or God Forbid a REALTOR or HORSE TRAINER (that is definitely a hobby, not a profession). I wanted 12 kids (the Pretty one ended up with all the kids;) I wasn't sure I needed a husband. My father had failed in the husband area, so I couldn't at that time see what value a husband brought to a family (I have since learned and LOVE having a lifepartner).

I definitely wanted to go to an Ivy League School. Better yet, one of the Seven Sisters. I apply myself in high school. I graduate 3rd in my class. I interview, I SAT and I get into my school of choice. I also fill out an application to Purdue.....It was free.....and get a scholarship....My parents tell me I am going to Purdue.... Where the HECK is Purdue? INDIANA????? NO WAY..... Off to cornfields and cows I go....

Somewhere along the way I fall in love. I get married before graduation and move to KANSAS...


You get the picture... My life has not been a straight path from A to B. The road has many bends and turns. It is a good life....

What is REALiTY?

I have four fabulous horses to ride every day right now. One of them is MINE MINE MINE. I am one lucky lady. I also have two wonderful children who are brilliant. I think they have GOOD GENES! LOL! I have frustrations. Many Frustrations. They are of my own making.

Sometimes I do not know what to say. I hate to admit when I feel things that are less than wonderful. I have no room to complain. Yet, I find things to natter on about on and on and on.

I wish I could DANCE or SING or had a TALENT.....

I envy the MORMANS.... In an odd sort of way....their sense of community. The way they pull together in joy and suffering...HMMMM

Check Out This Link

In a typical Democratic or even REPUBLICAN manner, our country, the great old USA is having a DEBATE about health care. If 87% of the people want something, you would think that the debate would be short lived. After all, isn't our government based on the idea of MAJORITY RULE? It is somewhat confusing. I mean, I wasn't a Political Science major in college, I am just a lawyer which in no way qualifies me to actually interpret LAW, but, seriously, this seems pretty easy.....

http://pol.moveon.org/insurance_execs/?rc=fb.6

But then, I guess we are a country for the gullible, the EASILY DUPED, a country that reads the National Enquirer and BELIEVES. We are a country based on freedom of religion, as long as you are the RIGHT kind a' Christian...... "Mighty White" of us! After all, Christ wouldn't have wanted to protect the vulerable, serve the less fortunate, or make sure that all people are entitled to health care.....

Clepson is In the HOUSE, Finally....

After much planning, preparation and anxiety (on the part of the adults mainly!) Clepson departed for home . His trip home was orchestrated by MAT with help from us and the Airline Ambassadors (super organization!)

We ended up driving Clepson to Seattle to meet his first of three volunteer airline chaperones. Clepson was dressed in his very best clothing and looked surprisingly "Haitian" in a dress shirt, vest and suit coat.

Clepson was excited to be leaving but had been anxious since getting his eye. I like to think he will miss us and not just "Hannah Montana"! Clepson seemed to withdraw from us over the last few weeks of his visit. It was like he had accomplished his goal in getting well and having such a super transformation with his prosthetic eye. He asked daily about how many more days until he would go home and started watching more "Love a Child" programming on the Internet.

It is my hope that he is truly glad to be back at Love a Child and has grown in a positive way from his stay in the U.S. I know that he is a physically healthier boy, but I hope he is emotionally and spiritually well too.

While we will miss Clepson's joyful laugh and spirit, it was not a very hard thing to let him return to Love a Child. Our family knew that Clepson would return home. Clepson has a wonderful home in Haiti. It has been MUCH harder for me to see some of the babies return to Haiti that live in squalid conditions without the resources that Love a Child provides to Clepson.

I believe in the power of education and think that Haiti's problems will one day be solved by Haitian children that have been gifted with education and world knowledge. I hope that Clepson has taken from his visit that with hard work and determination anything is possible and that we can't rely on charity and handouts to get by in life. I think a "hand up" is so much more valuable than a "hand out". When Love a Child educates and nurtures it's orphans it gives them the ability to work to change their country. My belief that this is so important made it easy for me to "let go" of Clepson and encourage his return to his own country.

Plans

We have been busy and buzzing with plans around here. Getting Noah and Zoe ready for school, getting Clepson ready to return to Love A Child in Haiti...It has been a bit crazy around the household. It seems like Clepson has been with our family forever. He has been eagerly waiting to return home and the wait seemed to drag on and on and Now time is FLYING by and we will be lucky to get haircuts and school shoes and small gifts packed for the other children at Love a Child.

Clepson has been distracted and a bit sad for the last few days. I know he is frightened to possibly spend the night in PAP when he arrives in Haiti. He is frightened to fly also. Tonight we are going Ice Skating with the cousins and he will get to spend some time with them tomorrow too.