Notes...

Owen is over the moon about his half-day of school today and that tomorrow will be a snow day too, just like in the book “Snow Day” that he checked out from the library last week. How did he know?

It will be a long weekend, but I need another week for my Saturday and Sunday plans. There are ten events including best friend’s birthday party, two Valentine’s brunches (on the same day at the same time!) and a political rally that I want to attend.

We have had weekend pileups before, but never like this. How’s a lady to choose?

“Big Love” Compound Party in 3,2,1… And Bill is running for office! How could my fav show get better - throw in politics. Thank you, HBO.

My boys and I are off to the Mid-Cities Democrats Birthday Bash.
Happy four amazing years to the biggest and best grassroots political action committee in Tarrant County, Texas.

Talking politics with three fellas from elementary school.

How strange.

“Wednesday, 19 November 2008

Dear Monjama,

My name is Kathleen Thompson. I am a thirty-one year old mother of Owen and wife to Jeremy. We live in Grapevine, Texas and are members of First United Methodist Church in Colleyville, Texas.

Owen is four years old and he attends a nearby preschool. He likes to play baseball and help me in our garden. He knows how to write his name and is learning to write in cursive.

Owen and I decided to trace our hands for you, so that we could show you something about ourselves in addition to a picture. Owen traced my hand on the green paper and I traced his hand on the yellow paper.

We would like it if you would trace your hand on your letter back to us so Owen could see something about you. He was excited to hear you are nine and you are older and bigger than him.

Owen loves to read too and we have not read the book listed as your favorite, “The Lorry and the River”. We will have to find it. Owen likes books about animals and friendship.

Owen’s favorite color is pink. Do you have a favorite color?

Owen likes to sing and he is practicing with the other children at church for a Christmas program. Do you like to sing?

Jeremy and I have been married for five years and we have been a couple for ten years. Jeremy is an only child and I have one older brother named Charles. He is a chemical engineer.

My husband Jeremy is a designer and I used to work as a journalist and now I work in Democratic politics.

What profession would you like to be in when you are older?

We are excited to be pen pals with you, Monjama. We look forward to hearing from you.”

Unfortunately, my mother gets the bulk of her information on current events from a local evangelical fundamentalist, Republican radio station.

Fortunately, she has me for a daughter.

This morning she questioned the validity of an e-mail from a friend. I set her straight. Read from the bottom up. Also, what the heck are “invectious deaths”?

From:  Kathleen Thompson
Subject: snopes.com: Euthanasia Counseling
Date: July 29, 2009 7:25:49 AM CDT
To:  Margaret Thompson

Of course what your friend wrote with the headline “unbelievable” is unbelievable, because it’s untrue.

It seems to me that when Republicans can’t win on the truth, they go for lies. Too bad they don’t instead try for honesty and a better plan.

I mean really, counseling on assisted suicide to ease Medicare costs!?

K

http://snopes.com/politics/medical/euthanasia.asp

From: Margaret Thompson
Date: July 28, 2009 10:47:24 PM CDT
To: Kathleen Thompson
Subject: Fwd: Unbelievable information about the new proposed health care benefits.

I haven’t heard of Fred Thompson, but it is obvious he is a Republican. Nonetheless, do you know how much of what the interviewee says is true?

————— Forwarded message —————

From: Rita H.

Date: Tue, Jul 28, 2009 at 1:32 PM

Subject: Unbelievable information about the new proposed health care benefits.

To: Rita H.

Please listen to this broadcast if you can. It is really quite unbelievable that Obama has planned.

In His Love,

Rita H.

I listened to this twice thinking my ears had deceived me! Prepared to be shocked!

If you are on Medicare, or if your parents are on Medicare, they will lose much of their current Health Care benefit under the proposed Obama Health care program.

Please take time to listen to the video!

Click this link: http://tinyurl.com/mcmq6h

On Page 425 of Obama’s health care bill, the Federal Government will require EVERYONE who is on Social Security to undergo a counseling session every 5 years with the objective being that they will explain to them just how to end their own life earlier. Yes…They are going to push SUICIDE to cut medicare spending!!!

Also, planned denial of medical care for seniors.

Over a recent dinner with a girlfriend, the topic of Facebook came up. 

She won’t get an account because of start up funds from the CIA or something along those lines, but also, not wanting private companies to have so much information about her. 

Jeremy countered that there are so many people online, there’s no way “they” can keep track of us all. She said, yes, there is a way.

I love my FB account. I keep up with a childhood friend from my time in Varna, Bulgaria. I keep up with high school friends. I see what my adult friends are doing daily and I see hilarious and lovely photos of their darling children. 

Several months ago, I was “friended” by a man I attended private religious (read fundamentalist evangelical) school in Colleyville with. We were not close by any means, but we had small class sizes and I spent many years knowing this kid. We ended up at the same high school, but he escaped private school many years before me. When I finally transferred to public school, I was so used to a small circle of friends, that when I made friends at GHS, it was another small group. When he asked to add me I had to wonder if he had mistaken me for someone else. I have never asked him, because I am sure the answer will be yes. Anyway, I think this fellow is a wonderful progressive and I really enjoy his politically related posts. Who’d have thought we’d have an online relationship all these years later through Facebook?

I have had to block access to a few people. But happily, they are not part of my life and shouldn’t be reading about what I am doing online. Unless they read it here. This blog is universal and my Facebook account is private.

My big brother is notoriously bad about communication. He is always happy to take a call or e-mail, but reaching out isn’t his thing. Luckily, his wonderful fiancée is on FB and I can read about them any time I like. 

And I like to show off Owen and Jeremy on my FB. Apparently my recent posting of the new “Slip and Slide” and Jeremy trying it out has become “Internet Gold” for Jeremy’s friends and co-workers. He’s “known” throughout his professional community, or so I was told by a dozen or so strangers singing his praises at his recent Big (D)esign after-party. A friend of his re-posted the video and it went far and wide. 

I really like my FB account. What a great social networking tool. I’m going to keep working on my girlfriend. But if she won’t get on, maybe I can get her fiancé to. 

UPDATE: Wrote this days ago. This morning the name of my first boyfriend showed in my “people you may know”. Yes, I know him. 

And I am sure Jeremy will be OK if we become FB friends!