4/14/09

My Inner Voice Takes Over... my views on Tea.

I'm not a fan of tea. I don't drink it. Actually, when I venture to try the herbal kind I have to admit I feel gypped. When I am lured by the initial smell and take a sip I always feel like I drank warm pond water.


To me, tea looks great and smells nice but lacks substance and leaves me wishing I had chosen something that was more lasting and less like steamed grass.


I fought this post today. Really, I know my readers aren't visiting the Pretty Political Palace. Still, I would be untrue to myself, even off balance with my priorities if I did not tell you how much I love our country and our constitution. In short: I love America. I love you... My American sisters (for those of you tuning in from Australia... I love you too!) and all of the work you do to bless your families and build our country. So many of you (I include myself) struggle to provide and make the buck stretch in your homes and these days many of you have faced even more difficult financial struggles.

I feel like our represented leaders have been brewing some pretty awful tea in Washington. Bail out after bail out and a Blue Whale sized over- extended budget to some may look great, it may even smells great... but to me it's just a cup of steamed grass. A stinky brew that lacks substance that ultimately will malnourish the future of my children who will pay for all the misdeeds of this era. I'm tired of funding budgets and bailouts that pass in the dark of night without complete review by my elected leaders and even more tired of hidden "gifts" for the study of pig gas emissions that make up a good portion of pork that attend these bills.
 
As reported by MSNBC:
Some of the other “bridge to nowhere” projects identified in the CAGW’s “Pig Book” include:

$13,500,000 for the International Fund for Ireland, which helped finance the World Toilet Summit
$6,435,000 for wood utilization research
$1,000,000 for the Waterfree Urinal Conservation Initiative
$500,000 for the Sparta Teapot Museum in Sparta, N.C.
$550,000 for the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, Wash.
$500,000 for the Arctic Winter Games in Alaska
$250,000 for the National Cattle Congress in Waterloo, Iowa
$234,000 for the National Wild Turkey Federation
$100,000 for the Richard Steele Boxing Club in Henderson, Nev.
To search the group's database for pork projects in your state, visit: http://www.cagw.org/

WHAT?!?!?!

If you've made it this far through this post... you're doing great! I'm almost finished... I wanted you to know that I will be at 2 tea parties today. I am hoping that my 1 voice will be heard. I am standing up for what I believe in:
  • Honesty in the dealings with my fellow men- I need honest people in government.
  • Support of the Constitution and the limit of Federal powers.
  • Our unique system of checks and balances that allows "we the people" power to change what we don't like.
  • Responsible spending
  • and Righteousness- for I believe that the Lord will always protect and watch over His people, so long as they are righteous.

There you go. Pretty Political Organized Palace... maybe I should start a second blog. I love America and want to see this great nation prosper, responsible, and out of debt... just like I'm teaching my kids. I invite you all to send your representatives a tea bag and help them remember what America's all about. I also invite you to attend a tea party near you to let your voice be heard.

Keep your chins up mothers of America. We are a unique and powerful people united... a voice for good all over the world. Truly, I have got to know many of you and am amazed at the great work you do in serving your families one day at a time. Thank you for keeping your priorities organized... and for lasting to the end of this post!

Love me or hate me today...
Pretty "Political" Organizer

27 comments:

Thoughtfully Blended Hearts said...

Great post..."Do unto others as you would have them do unto you"...pretty simple concept that our "leaders" should embrace...Love that tea party theme...

Celeste Lux said...

Pretty disappointing post. But it's your blog, you can do what you want with it...where was all this collective ire when this country was getting into this mess? Have you written your congressman about your feelings? Do you even know his/her name? My father-in-law used to say, "Don't give me problems, give me solutions" It's nice to air your criticisms and concerns, probably pretty therapeutic too--but it solves nothing. You have a great blog otherwise, I'm going to miss it.

Kim @ Homesteader's Heart said...

Amen sister. My husband is going to a Tea Party today. He will be representing the whole family since we all couldn't go.
Great post!
Kim

Amanda @ Serenity Now said...

My husband and I are attending one this evening! My mom is babysitting so we can drive to Richmond. I think the "collective ire" has been slowly brewing since the whole mess started mounting with the subprime fiasco under the Clinton administration. I think all of them in Washington (Republicans and Democrats!!) need a reminder of who they are serving! (hint: it's not themselves!!) I think it's amusing to assume that just because you are attending a tea party today, you are automatically lumped into the "angry mob" that the media likes to portray. I personally have written to my congressman and senator. Twice. I get a nice email form letter in return. Yeah...they're really listening, all right. Great post! I see nothing wrong with you airing your opinions. :) For the record, if you had posted negatively on the tea parties, I would still come back and read because you have a great blog! :)

Kimba said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
duchess said...

Love You! I've also voiced my political opinion occasionally on my blog and am proud to do so. Sometimes there are just more important things than fluffy pillows & alphabatized pantries (although I'll be working on that later):)
Oh, and I'll take my tea sweetened & iced, please.

duchess said...

Oops. I spotted a spelling error in my comment above. It's just a typo from lack of enough coffee - no ugly comments on my intelligence level please.:)

Cottagecheap said...

I agree with you and personallh BLAME partisan politics for the issues. I clearly lean one way, but MOST of us are in the middle and the division among us makes it all about 'our team winning' even at a horrid cost.
I believe we are trying to plug holes in a dam that can't be plugged. Shoving handfuls of money (mine, no less) into the holes. WHen we shoudl be teaching the villagers how to get to high ground so that we can withstand the dam-break. It will happen, this economy was NEVER real. America has been a twenty-something kid living on Credit card debt in a condo she can't afford. Now it is time for her to admit that she needs to let the condo go and move into an apartment more in her price range. THEN and only then can she payoff her debts and eventually buy the house of her dreams.
Personally, I wouldn't worry about people who read this post and move on....they are 'fair weather' friends. Some people mistake patriotism for 'blind following'.

Kimba said...

I deleted above because I couldn't stand to look at my typos. :-)

I'll be attend a tea party today too. I'll have the kids in tow and The Hubster would be there it he could.

To answer Celeste questions, I have most definitely called and written my congressmen. I was outraged when the last administration started us down the path that we're on. However, the amount of money being spent by this administration is absolutely unprecedented in the history of our country (and the world for that matter). They have gone light years beyond what was done previously (which I vehemently disagreed with also).

I believe that we haven't even begun to see the negative affects of the spending going on in Washington. I also believe it will be devastating to our standard of living and way of life in ways that we can't even imagine. I really, really want to be wrong. In the meantime, I will do what I can to stand up for our Constitution.

I truly don't view this as a Republican or Democrat issue. It's an American issue. Frankly, I think the whole lot of them need a reminder of whom they serve.

As a side note, I read lots of blogs of people with whom I may disagree politically. That doesn't stop me from visiting or enjoying their good ideas. It would be a boring world if we only associated with people who agreed with us all of the time.

Kimba

Mom in High Heels said...

It's your blog, do what you want. Living in Europe and only really seeing what's going on in the US on the news, makes it seem surreal. I had no idea about the tea parties until I saw a blip on the news the other day. Good for all of you that are going. I am a tea drinker (hot only) so I'll raise a cup to you all today.
BTW, hot tea is amazing. You have to stay away from that frou-frou herbal and fruit tea garbage. You need a good strong black tea and make it from the leaves (with a tea strainer) not tea bags. Tea bags are filled with the stuff that's left over. Yuck. I actually blend my own in my strainer. I mix a bit of black strawberry cream (black tea leaves with dried strawberry bits in it), mate yerba, which is a very earthy tea (and also an appetite suppressant) and a little bit of silver needle (a white tea once reserved strictly for the Chinese Imperial family) and brew it for 2 minutes. A splash of milk and 1 sugar cube and it is perfection in a cup. Seriously.

Jen@Balancing Beauty and Bedlam said...

Ha - and I thought you were really putting up a post about tea and how you love the "feeling but don't like the taste." We are still sisters separated at birth. I collect tea cups and tea items but can't drink the tea.

Now onto other matters.
Good for you, my friend. I will be joining you at the tea parties with my kids and hubby. This isn't a right or left issue. I agree with Kimba...it's about America.

For those under the assumption that a "tea party" is something to attend with out previously trying to address issues...I have written both senators (Republican and Democrat) and never heard anything back. I had no intention of attending one of these until I heard a 'political expert' say that "these tea parties are not news worthy because the original tea party was about 'taxation without representation' and we have our fairly elected representatives."
They were elected but these tea parties are addressing the feeling that our hands are tied. This newly passed package is 'taxation with misrepresentation' since the majority of Americans are not in favor of these high taxes.
Again, this is not a Republican or Democratic issue...the first bailout happened last year under a Republican, and I thought that was the worst of it, now it's just spiraling out of control.

Some of those closest to me are friends on both sides of this issue. Some of my best discussions are with those friends that hotly disagree with me and they make me a better person because I become a thinking person, solidifying what and why I believe things. That is where America can and should shine. We should be able to agree to disagree - iron sharpening iron.
Somewhere along the way we have lost that ability and I miss that.

Ok, enough for my blog post in your comments.

TNelson said...

Thanks Jen@balancing beauty, etc. - You said exactly what I was thinking. I HAVE written my congressman and senators and the POTUS many, many times. This is NOT a partisan issue - to me this goes to the heart of our American values. It's nice to see a conservative blogger actually come out and say something in defense of our country. I applaud you for having the courage to do so!

slip4 said...

Amen, sister! I am going to a tea party today and while I am mad as heck at our government (BOTH sides of the aisle), I am not the crazy extremist that the media would portray us as. I pray that the tea party crowds will express our frustration peacefully so that the message isn't discredited. Keep sharing the thoughts of your heart, political or otherwise!

becca said...

amen, amen, amen, and amen.
At first I was thinking "I totally agree" on the tea. I want to like tea, but it just doesn't happen. But then I was just smiling and totally agreeing on the rest. It is sickening and I am right there with you! Good for you for taking a stand. It is YOUR blog and and you certainly have the right to share YOUR thoughts!

becca said...

oh and it is a shame people can't read a difference of opinion without tucking their tail and running.

Rhoda @ Southern Hospitality said...

Hear, hear to tea parties! Me and my hubby will be there with bells on tonight too in our city. I hope many, many others will show up too to voice our discontent at the way gov't is running our country right now. I too see it as an American issue, not Democratic or Republican. I truly hope that we are heard & commend you for speaking out so forcefully on the issue. I mentioned the tea party on my blog today & I may do a post about the actual event. We'll see...:)

Michelle said...

Great post. "Don't Tread On Me"

I'm enjoying many cups of tea today instead of my normal coffee...and The Chumby and I will be having several tea parties today.

Crissie said...

LOVE you today! Dissent is patriotic, it's what our country was born from. Each and every one of us should have courage and the moral fortitude to voice our opinions while still respecting the opinions of others.

The economy is a mess. My husband lost his job of 14 years, our local newspaper has had to shut down the paper route that I've done for 10 years to subsidize my SAHM status, we are struggling and really just hoping to hang onto our home (which of course we are upside down in now). We have 5 children and things are looking a bit dismal from time to time over here.

One bright spot of this whole stimulus package for me is that we are able to collect an additional $25 a week in unemployment, which brings us up to a whopping $387 a week even though we paid into that fund FOREVER. However, the thing I am most grateful for is the COBRA subsidy. Instead of $850 a month to continue insurance for our family (two of who have pre-existing conditions), we only have to pay $138. I thank each and every American for passing that blessing on to my family.

There are some problems certainly, including hastily passing a bill without thoroughly reading it and accumulating a debt that our children will have to pay.

I just wanted to say that I am thankful for some aspects of the stimulus and I disagree with some aspects of it.

Thank you for a thought-provoking post. :)

xoxoxo

Rachel said...

Yea for you!!! It's quite okay to mix a little of other things into your other 'flavor'.
Hubby and I aren't able to attend a party today but we're praying for those who are. Carry a tea bag for me.
And yes, I've contacted my state reps and Senators. They don't really seem to be listening.

Kim said...

I support you 110% in your efforts. You are setting a great example to your children by standing up for what you believe in. And I could not agree with you more. Good luck at your tea parties today and God willing they will get some coverage on the news!

Suzanna said...

I am thankful for Americans who are willing do rather than stand by helplessly. I wish I could be there with you!!

Jennifer@woodleycottage said...

Love the post! I'll be home with the kiddo's. The daughter works for my father-in-law's CPA Firm. They will be working until 9pm. So, the Husband is going to the TEA party in San Antonio to represent the family.
My family is very diverse politically, yet we still love each other... I have several friends with polar opposite political views from myself. That is the beauty of this country. You have the right to think differently and still function in the same space. I'm always up to an intellectually stimulating debate. Besides, don't you want to know what "the other side" is thinking? One side of the story is NEVER the entire story...
I've never said that anyone should think the way I do, but if you have strong beliefs stand up for them, be true to yourself and stay informed. And, God Bless America!

Vivienne @ the V Spot said...

I have no problem with Organized Politics. "Celeste Lux" obviously did not read it thoroughly, or her reading comprehension is not very good.

Your points are well taken, and if nothing else, the complete tank the economy has taken will help to galvanize us into action in some way... even if that action is to just be more cognizant as far as what our elected officials are doing. Or not doing.
It's a bi-partisan mess and will only be cleaned up with a bi-partisan effort.
yuck.

And love the warm pond water description.

Jen - Balancing Beauty and Bedlam said...

How did my chickens get way more drama than this. :)Every one just loves you. :)

Myrnie said...

Great post. I first heard about these "tea parties" a few minutes ago, reading another blog. And why shouldn't you air your opinions on *your* blog? As long as it's not mean, preach on! :)

{oc cottage} said...

Woooooooooooooohooooooooooooooooooo!
We have written, we have called, we have voted...it has fallen on deaf ears! Action time! They work for us! They need a wake up call!


m ^..^

Anonymous said...

Bravo!

 
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