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I Have A Dream By Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. on August 28, 1963

I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of captivity.

But one hundred years later, we must face the tragic fact that the Negro is still not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize an appalling condition.

In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check which has come back marked "insufficient funds." But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check -- a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to open the doors of opportunity to all of God's children. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment and to underestimate the determination of the Negro. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.

We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny and their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.

And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.

Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.

I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slaveowners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day the state of Alabama, whose governor's lips are presently dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, will be transformed into a situation where little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls and walk together as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith with which I return to the South. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."

And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!

Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous peaks of California!

But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!

Let freedom ring from every hill and every molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

(Audio Of Speech)

(in random order)

LeapFrog Tag Reader books (Star Wars, Spiderman, UP, The Cat In the Hat, I Spy)
LeapFrog Leapster2 games (Star Wars Jedi Reading, Batman, UP)
Legos (City Construction, City Firefighters/truck, Star Wars, Batman)
Toy Story (movie, Woody, Buzz Lightyear)
Lego Indiana Jones (I) Wii Game

That's all I can think of.

1. What color is your favorite hoodie? Black (one of only three I have)
2. Would you kiss the last person you kissed again? Yep (Caleb)
3. Do you plan outfits? Sorta (but the plan often changes)
4. How are you feeling RIGHT now? Longing (for sleep, thanks to that Excedrin I took earlier)
5. Whats the closest thing to you that's red? Bob the Builder stickers.
6. Tell me about the last dream you remember having? None.
7. Have you ever counted to 1,000? No, but I counted to 300 with Caleb while waiting for the doctor at Urgent Care.
8. Do you bite into your ice cream or just lick it? Lick.
9. Do you like your hair? Not usually.
10. Would you go out to eat with George W. Bush? Only if he's buying.
11. What are you listening to right now? A&G Podcast
12. Are your parents strict? They were... But alas, it WAS for my own good!
13. Would you go sky diving? No. Way.
14. Do you like cottage cheese? With honey. Or apples.
15. Do you rent movies often? Just about never.
16. Is there anything sparkly in the room you're in? Maybe, but it's dark so I can't tell.
17. How many countries have you visited? Three, two of them I live(d) in!
18. Ever been on a train? Yes, Thomas the Tank Engine... and the one in Old Sacramento.
19. Brown or white eggs? I don't discriminate. :)
20. Do you have a cell-phone? Yes, if I haven't lost it on any given day.
21. Do you own a gun? Not personally.
22. Can you use chopsticks? Moderately well.
23. What was the last question you asked? Do you want me to get it for you? (To Caleb when he woke up thirsty and was going to get water.)
24. Do you have any tattoos? No. They say never say never. But never.
25. Are you sarcastic? Never!
26. What was the last CD you bought? Downhere's Ending is Beginning
27. Do looks matter? Under certain circumstances.
28. Is your phone bill sky high? No... Vonage!
29. Do you like your life right now? Can't complain!
30. Do you sleep with the TV on? Yes, but I put it on a timer because eventually it would wake me up.
31. Can you handle the truth? I'd like to think so.
32. Do you have good vision? No... it's terrrrrrible.
33. Do you hate or dislike more than 3 people? No, its more like a few people bug me. Negative people.
34. How often do you talk on the phone? If you count at work, one thousand times a day. On average. :)
35. What are you wearing? Jeans, tshirt shirt, zip hoodie
36. Can you hula hoop? As long as it's like riding a bike... Yes. But it's been years.
37. Do you have a job? Yes... "Guest Services Supervisor"
38. What was the most recent thing you bought? Mother's Day gifts
39. Have you ever crawled through a window? Yes.... A very small and high one.
40. Do you have a wired or wireless mouse? Wireless. And the keyboard. But a tablet that's wired.
    

Four jobs I have had in my life:

1. Cashier at McDonald's
2. Retail sales associate
3. Office assistant for a lawyer
4. Guest services supervisor (now)

Four movies I've watched more than once:

1. Down Periscope
2. Wally
3. Star Wars
4. Finding Nemo

Four places I have lived:

1. Peru
2. NV
3. TX
4. CA

Four places I have been:

1. Miami, FL
2. Albuquerque, NM
3. San Francisco, CA
4. Columbus, OH

Four Favorite drinks

1. Fruit smoothies
2. Strawberry or Meyer Lemon Lemonade
3. Apple cider
4. Inka Cola

People who email me regularly:

1. My boss
2. Spammers
3. My dad
4. My sister

Four of your favorite foods:

1. Sushi
2. Ceviche
3. Garlic bread
4. Milk chocolate

Four places I would rather be right now:

1. a new house
2. a movie theater
3. Hawaii
4. in a spa getting a massage

Four things I am looking forward to this year:

1. buying a house
2. trip to nashville
3. anniversary #8
4. summer!

Four TV shows that I watch:

1. Lost (but dvr, way after the fact)
2. NCIS
3. Numbers
4. CSI.

or, Don't Believe What You Hear is the Whole Story.

Remember the story, oh so long ago now, of the lady who sued McDonald's for burning herself on hot coffee? Remember how audacious and ridiculous it sounded, and outrageous when she won the case?

Well let me let you in on a (not so)little (not so) secret. The "News" has a vested interest in making things sound outrageous. With a lot of talk about media bias these days, which definitely exists in both directions depending on the channel, let me tell you what I have discovered.

There is media bias. The bias is toward conflict and controversy.

I heard "the full story" on talk radio about a year ago, and have been meaning to post about it for a while now. So with that, I leave you to read the full story of the (not so) audacious McDonald's coffee lawsuit. Pardon the atrocious web page... But it has the facts!

"He struck me as being as dumb as a box of hair."

Aside from the quandary of what one would do with a box of hair, when I heard this on the radio it made me giggle.

They jacked up the price on the house so I guess we won't have to figure out how to fit it under the tree.

"Formal living/dining rooms and master w/full bath & walk in closet on main level with slider to deck. Large rec room, extra/bonus room w/bar, 2 bedrooms, full bath and workshop on lower level. Priced to Sell!!"

Bryan found this while window shopping for houses online today. It's in the same town as our church, about 10 minutes from where we live now. It appears to be a bank owned (forclosure?) and the price is SOOOOOOO good (less than 2/3 its appraised value). Of course part of me is thinking it must be infested with termites or something, but Bryan says it's because the bank wants to get rid of it. It is listed as a 5 bd 3 bath built in 1990 and is on a dead-end street almost on the edge of town.

It could be perfect!

Sometimes God burdens our heart for somebody we know. We desire in our hearts to help that person however we can. Sometimes you're the somebody. And refusing the acts of kindness and love is in fact contradicting God's will.

I filled up the Legacy last Thursday for $2.29/gal. Today I filled up the Forester for $2.09/gal.
I like what I see. But I know the prices ebb and flow and I don't trust Big Oil or OPEC. We need go to renewable.

And is it just me or do all the alternative vehicles start out looking way too ugly or ridiculous? (2001 Prius, 2001 Insight, 2008 Smart Fortwo) Sure, there are now hybrid versions of popular cars, but is it too much to ask that we be original, earth-friendly, affordable, AND stylish?

I just finished the invitations for our Prayer Partner Banquet. Thanks to Bryan and Mark (Sturge) for the input. :)

My darling younger son, Micah, loves all things grownup. He loves key rings, wallets, purses, cell phones, etc. More than once he's temporarily lost my keys and secretly removed items from my purse. He also likes to remove Bryan's cell phone from the home charger. Of course the home charger has two small buttons one must depress to remove the phone safely, but Micah doesn't bother with such minute details. He just yanks the phone and cord apart. When Bryan became aware of this, he would tell Micah to stop doing that if he caught him in the act. So what did my dear Micah do? Force the cord back into the phone's charger jack. So, not surprisingly, after the charger has been yanked out and crammed back into the jack, the jack is no longer operable. Some might say ruined. Some might be right.

So yesterday Bryan and I went shopping at the Sprint kiosk at the mall. They say, sure, give us $150, and we'll give you our cheapest phone. How's that for encouraging customer loyalty? We say, um, no. So we traipse on over to the TMobile kiosk just down the way, find that they have a similar plan, free phones (for new customers) galore, and take hope. Back to the not-very-happy-to-not-have-made-a-sale rep at the Sprint kiosk. How much would it cost to cancel the service? Oh, just $200. Not good.

So we return home, phoneless and defeated. In our current financial situation, neither of these options are appealing or even feasible. But a phone must be had. So I turn to my trusty friend, The Internet. Unlocked phone? Not a good value, plus we'd still be saddled with the Sprint bills every month or cancellation fee. ((shudder)) And then like a bolt of lightning, the inspiration to Google used cell phones comes to me. And I find a very convenient website selling just that. Not only that, but they had categorized the phones by carrier so I didnt' have to waste time sorting through phones that wouldn't work with our service.

I was able to find a bluetooth capable phone in rather good condition with charger and have it insured and shipped Priority Mail for $50. Once it arrives, we can call Spint and have them activate it as a replavement for the sad, sad, broken phone, and we can ride out the rest of our contract (7 months). The best part would be their money-back guarantee of the phone. Once it arrives we have 20 days to return it and get back what it cost us (minus shipping and insurance).

It kinda feels good to not have bought a phone from Sprint for the ridiculous price they were asking! Seems like such a racket to me.




Now, of course, to keep Micah from the new(-to-us) phone.

I finally re-registered at my new address and the voter registration card arrived in the mail. Spiffy that I could do that online. I love being able to do things online. Apparently this county does all voting by mail. I don't know what I think about that. I have previously always done an absentee ballot, but that is before I knew/cared much about politics. I wonder if I can still turn it in at the ballot drop box on (or before) election day. I like having options.

Well, it's been precisely one month since my last post. It's been a very creative month! In random order:

We're getting sweatshirts made with the above logo on the front, and this third design on the back:





I also put together a little purse for my niece from some wonderful supplies at the craft store. It was a pink purse with a light yellow interior. The handles I chose were c-shaped clear acrylic that easily attached to the purse. Caleb and I chose some adorable cupcake iron-on appliqués that I ironed on on the front, sides, and inside of the purse. We filled the bag with some pink Build-A-Bear motif goodies we found at Michael's. I wish I'd gotten a photo of it before I gave it to her. I'll have to see if she brings it with her to church on Sunday so I can add a picture here.


I also painted/decoupaged a little stool and picture frame to match as a baby shower gift for a friend (and I guess I hope she doesn't check my blog so the surprise isn't spoiled!). I painted the major surfaces in pink, the undersides in yellow, and the sides in green. For the stool I cut out some flower shapes (freehand), painted on the leaves, and used some "epoxy stickers" as the raised centers of the flowers. As a finishing touch I added polka-dot ribbon around the edge. For the for the frame I cut the paper along the pattern of flowers, added ribbon, and an epoxy sticker. I used sparkle Mod-Podge over the whole of both projects, but you can't really see the sparkle at all in the photo. Trust me, it's really sparkly. (read:girly)






It's been really fun to use the creativity and inspiration God has given me these last few weeks. As long as the creativity lingers, I can create. I am working on a project for Mother's Day, as well, for my mom. Bryan is also making something (different) for his mom. I hope we can get them both done on time!! It seems I recently have an abundance of creativity, but a shortage in time. :)

I have the Weather Channel widget on my iGoogle home page. It tells me the current temperature and conditions, displays the three-day forecast and weather radar, and notifies me if there is a "Severe Weather Alert" for my area.

It's always made me chuckle, though, that the Weather Channel considers rain "severe weather". Maybe it's because I have lived most of my life in Washington, where rain is no big deal. It pretty much has to hail or thunder for a long-time Washingtonian to even notice. We have a few really bad storms where streets flood and trees blow over, and that's what we call a storm.

But in California, it seems, a day that's below the average temperature accompanied by more than 30 minutes of rain is considered stormy. Today's Severe Weather is (and I quote) "COOLER AND WET WEATHER ON TAP THIS WEEK". Whoa. Call out the National Guard.

Oh, and by cooler, they mean highs in the mid 50's to mid 60's. Really, get out your mukluks.

I'm not quite sure how sick a dog can get, but I'm pretty sick. My chest feels full of gunk and my sinuses are plugged. Not exactly a good time to be sick, but is there ever? I had Bryan pick me up some Mucinex and good old fashioned Sudafed (the real stuff from the pharmacy counter) so I try to feel better. I'm not feeling better but at least I'm feeling less wiped out than I have felt for the last couple of days, so maybe I can get something done despite the evil virus that is trying to take me over.

Speaking of getting things done, we didn't make the alfajores last night. Bryan made us dinner (stuffed salmon, yum), but between taking care of me and the boys, time got away from us. Hopefully tonight, though.

Local telemarketers and door-to-door salespeople are always asking me, "Are you the child or the adult?" Do I sound/look particularly child-like? I hope not. But someday I will appreciate being mistaken for younger than I actually am.

Ok so as usual I'm procrastinating on the previously mentioned things I need to write about, but here is a super good tip I just came up with for cleaning the microwave. I normally hate cleaning it so much that I let it get waaaay too gross, which becomes a self-perpetuating debacle. So my way is based on a product we bought once, which is a cleanser-soaked disposable cloth in a plastic wrapper that bursts open when heated in the microwave. But they are expensive and stink! My way is simpler and probably costs 1-3 cents.

All you need is a few paper towels and a little water. And of course a dirty microwave. Starting with one paper towel, fold it into quarters and get it wet. Saturate it so it's slightly drippy. Then microwave it for 1-2 minutes. Wait bout 30 sec, then open the steamy microwave, take the wet (warm-to-hot)paper towel and use it to scrub/wipe out the grossness. I use rubber gloves for this part. Then take a dry paper towel and finish the job. (You might have to repeat the steaming with a new wet paper towel if your microwave is as bad as mine.)

I'm considering trying it out with a little vinegar water next time, but for now this is way better than our old 409 & elbow grease method. Try it out and let me know what you think!

I was listening to my mp3 player yesterday while unloading the dyer and dropped some article of clothing on the floor. I picked up the stray clothing and received a snap of static electricity that actually hurt a little bit. The static shock also RESET MY MP3 PLAYER! You can just picture the little lightning bold traveling up my right arm, to my ears, then jumping into the ear-bud headphones, down the cord, and zapping my memory card.

I didn't know that could happen!

Note to self: Don't wear ear-bud headphones while doing laundy; use more Snuggle.