About

Hello!  And welcome to my blog!

A little bit about myself – probably more than you care to know…

I am a Purdue University graduate, with a degree in Technical Illustration/Computer Layout & Design, 1987 – and have I seen changes – thank goodness punch cards went out (I originally was a programming major for 3 years).  Extended studies in Earth Science Education, as well.  I am passionate about photography as well as creating technical graphics, working in Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator.  I just purchased my first “real” camera in September, a Rebel T2i, and LOVE it!  I am a visually-minded person, though, therefore I prefer to express myself with photos and videos.  Pictures do say a thousand words.  I am a member of the Mensa Society, and do enjoy learning.  Humans have a gift of an unlimited ability to learn, and I choose to embrace this.

In my younger days, I was a very active person throughout my entire life. My two true passions were guiding canyoneering trips in southern Utah for the Sierra Club (I LOVE slot canyons) as well as an avid rock climber. Now I am hooked on the internet, creating, learning and sharing.

I am a firm believer of equal rights, human rights, and simply doing what is right.  I also believe in the truth….

I am addicted to the news, especially politics.  Political satire and humor is some of my favorite types of reads.  When it comes to politics, especially with the Republican candidates currently running for POTUS, I am very outspoken and will tell it like it is.  A fool is a fool is a fool.  Besides expressing myself, one of my goals is to wake people up from their slumber they’ve been told for years which is “everything is good, everything is fine.”  Everything is not good. Everything is not fine. Plus the War on Women started by the Republican Party has me completely and utterly infuriated. Religious beliefs must remain separate from our government else we our country will destroy itself. The United States is a melting pot of not only races and nationalities, but also religions and faiths. Our government and elected officials need to remember and respect this as a gift within our country.

I do STRONGLY support the blogging community.  Our media has become very biased, and often only disclose what they want you to know, either skewing the facts, or not disclosing all the facts.  Plus bloggers view points typically come from the heart, not from a paycheck from a major media corporation.  A significant number of blogs I follow are more talented and wiser than the main stream media reporters.  I do love and want to hear other people’s opinions and viewpoints, even if they differ from my own.  Often times when seeing an issues from a different angle provides an insight not previously seen.  The only thing I do ask is that opposing opinions are done so with respect.  Calling me, or any group of people, names will find your comment moderated and trashed.

People, as a nature, tend to fear the unknown, or those that are different.  These differences in people and societies is what makes us each unique – and there is much knowledge to be learned from ones differences.  Don’t fear.  Respect… and peace will happen.

Man is slowly destroying both our earth and our society as a whole.  Many people have chosen to become indifferent about this, hiding in their falsehood of what they believe is a good life.  Lies, conspiracies, corruption feed the weak and/or evil-minded.  I feel that the truth must surface in order to learn and move ahead.  Corporations, governments, and religions (yes) are very monetarily driven.  The drive for the mighty dollar, pound, euro, yen, etc. has taken away the simple virtues of life… both directly and indirectly.

Yet, in the midst of all this, there is beauty in our world.  Do not let it pass you by while you hide in the shadows of anger, disillusionment, and fear.  We have but one life while on this earth – live it to the fullest while you can.

Please view my other blogs:

Motley Dogs (formerly Doggie Bloggie)- A site all about our best friends… dogs.  Created and dedicated to my own two rescues, one of whom is a “lethal white” Aussie, born deaf and blind in one eye.  There is more about them on this site.

Motley Dogs on Facebook – for those Facebook and dog-lovers

Motley Photos – Devoted to quality photography, as well as my own work.  This is a non-political site.

Motley Videos – A site of both my favorite videos, independent film-makers, creative work, FX, plus many other categories – including my own videos.  This is a non-political site.

More sites coming soon and will be added to this page when they are published and ready to go.  Also, keep in mind…. I do all this in my spare time.  I have a full-time job, and all my blogs and sites are built and maintained during my off-hours.  I do this because I enjoy it.

Do not fear the unknown… learn from the truth.  And help stop the hate.

“The future belongs to those who prepare for it today.”
~ Malcolm X

103 Comments »

  1. Hello, this is a photograph of my son, in the cammo jacket, being arrested at OWS in NYC on 11/17/11. I was wondering if you could get me in touch with the photographer so I could purchase a hi-res version, and give them proper credit. Thank you.

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    • Hi, Mike. I wish I knew but I do not. If I didn’t list a photographers name or a source, than that means I do not have any of that info. Most likely, I found these pictures on Facebook, which are typically posted, shared and reposted again, thus no source info available.

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  2. I don’t know what brought you to my blog, but how fortuitous that it brought me to yours. Much of what you said above resonates with me. Good luck with your multiple blogs; I finally merged all of mine to avoid the constant indecision about which one deserved my attention.

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    • Thanks. Actually you left a comment on “The Ranting Liberal’s” site which I found interesting and drew me to your site. LOL.. I actually went the opposite with my sites. I started out putting everything on this one and decided I wanted to split them up. Primarily because this one is where I “rant” and become opinionated. The other sites I want to keep neutral from opinions – and there are some other long-term goals they’re designed for.

      I was so thoroughly impressed with your site. Both the presentation – it is so clean and easy to cruise through – as well as your writing. It’s funny… When I created this blog in April, I really had no idea where I was going. I’m not a very strong writer. I started out primarily cross-posting the news. But talk about becoming addicted! Now I have 5 blogs, and two more sites to build (although they’re not going to be blogs.) Now I voice my opinion more often, but I still do cross post (always always giving credit to the writer and linkback to the site – I do NOT believe in taking credit for someone else’s work.) And I’m also discovering the blogging community here on WP. I enjoy this much more than the main stream media.

      Well, I’m rambling. Nice to “meet” you and look forward to more of your posts.

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  3. I’m very impressed with what you have written here on your “About” page and your world view is very similar to my own. (although I don’t think they’d let me into Mensa unless I was delivering pizza) But unlike some in our society, I admire and respect intelligence and I don’t feel threatened by those who have more of it than I do. Besides, you smart people need someone to laugh at, and that’s where I come in. 🙂

    Thanks for liking and commenting on my blog post “What Am I Gonna Do?” and for following my blog. I’ll try my best to keep you amused, and you can help to keep me inspired and informed. Sounds like a pretty good deal to me, and pleased to meet you!

    Chris

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    • There are people I used to meet when I attended Mensa meetings that were “out there.” I mean, I had more meaningful conversations with brick walls before. Mensa really is nothing more than a number, a membership, and looks good on a resume. I have done some extremely stupid things in life – and I have also met some very brilliant people who never graduated high school. Life is the best teacher to have – many people just need to learn how to learn from it (okay, that sounded redundant…).

      I truly did so love that post of yours. I’ve been recently diagnosed with MS so I haven’t had too many smiles on my face this past month – and you did for me exactly what I needed. Thank you.

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    • Thanks! Yeah, the hair…. been trying to let it grow, and it’s very close to being chopped off here next week. In the photo, that is actually “long” for me. For over 15 years, I’ve had it very short – about an inch in length. Now it is a few inches longer than the photo and I’m hating it.

      I heartily agree about the blogging community. I created this site in April, but really did not start exploring the WordPress blogging community until just recently… and I adore it! I love what “real” people have to say.. they’re saying what they want – not what the person cutting their paycheck wants. Now I’ve subscribed to so many blogs, and I check out each and every post that hits my inbox. I may not agree with everything, as I don’t expect the same from people who read my posts, but I respect everyone’s opinions when presented gracefully.

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  6. Michelle, your last 3 posts dated 1/6 “cyber spider” @12:23 am,”singing horses” @12:14 am, and “barking dog widget” @12:10 am all came up as error pages. did u post these titles? continue…

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    • Yes, those are funny little widgets. WordPress.com users cannot upload plug ins, but I found a site that will send you the embed code to use in a text widget… but it sent the code by “posting” it. See my horses in the top of my sidebar. Those are the “singing horses.” Click on them all to start listening to the quartet, and clicking on them also stops them from singing.

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      • WANT! can you send me the site with the plugin embed codes? That’s so cool.
        One big problem with WordPress is the limited amount of coding any theme or WordPress site will accept. No javascript, no flash, no nuttin.honey.
        You’re a doll

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  10. I love your blog! Thank you for finding and following mine — everything helps. I haven’t been as active as I want and need to be — so much ‘life’ — but am trying to organize, structure and dedicate a little more to the sharing/interacting of the blogosphere. The mental stimulation of finding “real” people, rather than the filtered, marketed news and opinions in msm is worth the extra effort.

    Sorry to hear about your ms diagnosis. Hope all is going well. I guess things like that are the price we pay for being organic.

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    • Thanks. I’ve accepted the diagnosis and just now learning to adapt. I kept hoping that I would wake up one day and the fatigue and pain would be gone. Now I know it won’t go away. So having to make some decisions and changes in my life, most of which will occur mid-March. On the bright side, though… there are a lot worse things one can have. And it’s a relief to finally know why I’ve been feeling the way I have as I was beginning to think I was either imagining it or becoming a hypochondriac.

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  11. Pingback: About « Motley News | Four Blue Hills (A repository, of sorts)

  12. Holy shit Batman! Not only do you work with Photoshop, write, subscribe to progressive politics, but you’re a sister Mensa member. No wonder I dig you!
    Wish I had your eye for the photography. Your images blow me away 🙂

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    • Heehee… I could tell you were Mensan – even if not officially. I will humbly admit, though, politics is more of a recent addiction – about a year now. So I have had to play a lot of “catch-up” with how our system works. I sucked in poli-sci in high school. Didn’t take it in college since I was in the school of science. Could have as an elective, but didn’t. I would take sci-fi literature and stuff like that. So, really having to play catch-up on who a lot of people are. Thank goodness for google – and wikipedia!

      Here’s the link for widgets. Now, it’s rather odd… you request a widget for WP and it will send you one but post it. So we’ll all get these email notifications but won’t go anywhere. Then you take the embed code, through it in a text widget, place it – and it still doesn’t work. But what you get is the URL showing which is what you finally use to get the widget to work.

      I know… odd. But I’m sure you’ll figure it out. http://widgia.com/

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    • Why, thank you! You really think so (best “about” page)? And I’m not understanding “do you engage with the other political side at all?” BTW… I love your blog! and have been reading your comments on Barking in the Dark’s site.

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  14. Yes, you state quite clearly and eloquently who you are (or were at thetime of writing, if it’s changed)
    I recognize you from BITD. You really put up great comments there.
    I agree with you about the state of politics and the conservatives. I’m a registered democrat (mostly liberal)
    By engaging, I mean that it seems like there are too many echo chambers. With so much niche programming on cable and the net, it’s very easy for each side to be wrapped in their own message without ever hearing another.

    I find it very difficult to have conversations with conservatives, and was wondering if you are able to as part of your goal of waking people up.

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    • I thrive on hearing various viewpoints, theories, ideas, etc. But I am having a difficult time with listening to many of the Republicans simply because there seems to be an overwhelming lack of common sense in what they say and do. And they often bring in their own personal beliefs, such as religion and anti-gay stance, and that completely infuriates me. They are in the position they are in to serve the country as a whole, which is an enormous mixture in every regard. Rights should not be determined with any correlation to the bible (i.e. gay marriage). I have no problem with churches not recognizing gay marriage, but I have a huge issue with states not doing so. No, I am not gay, but I firmly believe in equal rights for all. And the fact that our government is now being ran by the corporations and moving thousands of jobs overseas, as well as our number one export being fuel (gas, diesel, jet fuel) while we sit here paying between $3-4/gallon is insane! Well, I could go on and on, but I am sure you catch my drift.

      I do, admittingly, have a very low tolerance towards stupidity. Nothing wrong with making mistakes – I have made and will continue to make them – but it’s so important to learn from mistakes. I also misinterpret and do not completely understand things, which is normal for all humans. I would rather someone teach me the facts better than let me continue to go on believing incorrectly. Learning is really such a gift.

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      • I feel the same way..William F Buckley was some what of an intellectual..and most conservatives here cant stand him…The main thing about conservatives, or Neo-cons is they are mtivated by nothing but emotion, not fact.. When they here some absurd story like Gretchen Carlson saying a girl got kicked out of school for wearing a cross (not really ever true,they dont tell you she hit a teacher or some other circumstance) I really believe the NeoCons endorphin levels go up.. When Karl Rove made hay about the woman who spilled coffee in her lap from McDonalds, I researched it, and spoke about it on our local neo-con radio show..Nothing but facts.. she barely broke even and had second degree burns ,plus the video had shown the careless employee was to blame ,the coffee had no lid. The truth made people angry.. They like their urban legends…Conservatives would rather a dog at home that tears up the house while they are gone than a cat..The cats intelligence intimidates them.

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  15. I forgot the 7 random things about myself, had to go back and edit that in….that was a lot of typing my lady. Finally finished. Thank you again.

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    • No, just bottle bleached a very light blond. In this picture I had just lightened my hair right before I left for that trip (that pic was taken on a ferry while I was in Seattle in July). I think when I tweaked the photo in photoshop, it made it just a bit more white than normal. I used to be a real tow-head, like that little girl in my Parting Shot. But like many blonds, it turned into dishwater with age.

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  17. I was just curious….I love white hair….I love when I see a woman who refuses to color her white hair, it shows a bit of a rebel….which I kinda get that you are.

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    • Rebel is often a good description for me. 😀 Actually, I’m in a quandary what to do with my hair. It’s been short and white-blond for years now. But with the MS, I just don’t keep up on it like I used to. So now it’s starting to look like bleach blond white trailer trash. I still love the white blond, but it takes a lot of upkeep as it tends to turn yellow fairly quickly. I am not sure how much gray I have now since i haven’t let it grow out that far before bleaching it. I may play around with colors and see what works. Maybe turn into a red head for a while. I dunno. But going back to the short short, like in the picture, here soon. It’s just so much easier to take care of. Hell, since I’m feeling older than my true years these days, maybe I’ll just do a true white-hair. I dunno. That’s the nice thing about super short hair. If I don’t like it, I just wait a few weeks than lop off the ugly color and start over again.

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    • Oh, I’ve already done that. I typically used a 0 blade, so there was but just a bit of fuzz. But I took it to the scalp once in the shower with a couple razors. Was unemployed and figured “what the hell.” I didn’t care for it all the way to the scalp. I have a dry patch in the back of my head and it stood out like a sore thumb. Having the fuzz tho was so nice! To wake up and not have to do a damn thing was wonderful!

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    • Up and down. I finally have my first appt with the specialist coming up on March 27th. The healthcare system here in Albuquerque is very pathetic. I had my first MRI in August 2011, and did not get back to see the neurologist that ordered it until Oct 31st. Meanwhile, the fatigue kept getting worse, dizziness started, etc. Then he wants a lumbar puncture. That was Dec 5th. Didn’t get back to see him until Feb. 1st. Orders another MRI and refers me to an MS Specialist. So from the time the first MRI was done until I finally see the MS doc, seven months will have passed. In December, I really started going downhill and had to cut back to 30 hrs/week at work and step down from my directors position. A $15k cut in pay.

      I often wonder if I had been able to see the doctor in August, within a month from the first MRI, if I would would be in the condition I am now, or in the condition I was back then… which wasn’t normal, but better than now.

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      • Are you on any of the a, b, c drugs…and tysabri now. Do they think you have relapsing/remitting? Am I asking too many questions? 😉 I was diagnosed in 2001, so I’ve been at this for a while. You may have noticed from my blog, but I’m in a wheelchair. Don’t let that worry you. My father-in-law has MS, and he is still walking, still doing a lot. Really, his diabetes is more of a problem than his MS, and he’s had MS for over 30 years.

        If you have any questions, or just want to talk to someone who understands, let me know. Also, ask your Neurologist about medications for the fatigue. Insurance doesn’t cover them all, but they are out there, and most have financial assistance programs if they are very expensive. They help.

        Sorry you have this, but I’m glad we stumbled across each other..

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        • I am glad, too. But no, not on any MS med’s. The neurologist refused to prescribe anything and wants the MS Specialist to do that. All I’ve done so far is have two MRI’s and one spinal tap. My PCP put me on Zoloft to help with the depression, and it seems to help a bit. I have NEVER ever been depressed in my life! Sad, yes. Depressed, never. So for a year now, I was horribly, extraordinarily fatigued and depressed at the same time. I was a complete 180 from what I used to be.

          Anyway, the Zoloft, and also on Kepra which was prescribed to help with my ocular migraines (aura’s, but no headache) and it has stopped my aura’s. Yay! And my PCP also put me on Tramadol because I in horrible chronic pain.

          Speaking of which, were or are you in any pain? Does it ever go away? It’s horrible. My legs, my lower back and my neck. Constant. Day and night.

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        • Yes, I have had periods of time when I was in pain…now I’m in pain constantly, but that’s because I broke my hip and it’s not healing well. I hate to just say “yes, the pain will go away” because MS is so different for everyone, but the odds are that it will. Just make sure you tell your dr. About it. When you go to the neurologist, they will check your eyes, which might have something to do with the auras.

          How much do you know about the disease?

          Oh yeah, most people with MS also have low levels of vitamin d. I don’t know if your dr. Would want you to wait until he tests you for it, but that is something over the counter that might help.
          Some neurologists don’t even test for it though, so ask about it if they don’t mention it.

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        • I have an eye doctor appt scheduled this month, too. I’ve done quite a bit of research on MS, but now I’m focusing more on just finding and befriending others. I have noticed that everyone is a little bit different. I do take a huge amount of vitamins, and one of them is specifically Vit D. But I have to humbly admit, I’ve been bad about it… keep forgetting. So now they sit in my little weekly pill case right next to me here at my computer. I’m always online day and night. So I’ve actually managed to remember my vit’s three days in a row now!

          From what I understand, it can go into a kind of “remission” stage where the symptoms either cease or just stop getting worse. But I’m not like that now. I seem to be getting worse by the day. I’m now getting pretty weak, my knees are shaky and legs are not very strong anymore. I’m fine walking a flat surface, but hate stairs. Sometimes I get very dizzy, almost like vertigo. And today I wasn’t feeling very good at all. Head was “disconnected”, spacey, a bit dizzy, and just slow to think. Legs hurt. Ugh. Sorry.. I don’t mean to sit and bitch like this, but I’m just so shocked at how different I am now from what I was like just over a year ago.

          I read someone else’s post about the med’s that were available and her choice and why. I don’t recall what it was she decided upon, or what the list was. It was a injection, though. I do remember that. All stuff I’ve never heard of. What do you take that is specifically for MS? And why? And does it seem to help?

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        • Still typing, but I didn’t want to take too long. When do you see the specialist?

          Also, depression is part of MS, but medication should help. Part is physical and part psychological I think though. I’m so sorry…I know it’s scary at first…especially if you can’t get the tools you need.

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        • I see the MS doc on March 27th. Way too long after the first MRI showed the spots. When the neuro told me what the results said, naturally my jaw hit the floor and couldn’t think of what to ask. Not even, “what now?” But I went home and googled the symptoms and started checking them all off. I think there are only one or two of the top 10 common symptoms that I don’t have. Well, no… that I didn’t have back when I pulled up the symptoms. I didn’t have difficulty walking then. I do now.

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        • I am about to start a clinical trial, but I haven’t been on anything for about 4 years because the type of MS I have now is secondary-progressive, and it doesn’t have any specific MS Drugs…just symptom managers.

          When I was first diagnosed, I got on Betaseron, my Neurologist recommended it because the side-effects weren’t supposed to be as bad as some of the others. It was a shot that I would take every other day, and it helped. Definitely. The Betaseron foundation is a place that you can apply for some help with the costs. Even if you don’t need financial help, they have a support line that is wonderful. They even called me about once a month just to see how I was doing.

          No matter which medication you get on, if it is a shot they have this wonderful thing called an auto-inject that is incredibly helpful.

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        • That’s one area I am still not quite understanding… the different levels like secondary-progressive. So if you know a website that explains this clearly, and in english, that’d be awesome!

          I’m on private insurance now. Not bad, but I’ve had better (haven’t we all). But I’ve also been without insurance. And if I keep getting worse, then I won’t be able to work anymore – or my boss will have to give in and let me work from home. We’re a virtual company and I can easily work from home. She just doesn’t like that idea. But if my head keeps getting foggy all the time like it was today, then I can’t work. So I may eventually have to travel down that disability road and Medicaid. I am NOT looking forward to that at all.

          Thanks for the info on the Betaseron. That may be what the other blogger told me she takes.

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      • As far as your dr.s behavior…I’m sorry. They should have referred you to a neurologist right away, but they probably didn’t because you didn’t have problems walking. When I was diagnosed, I was 20 and they said from the lessions, I had it since high school. The problemm with MS is that at first, you might have little problems, but they could be other things, or you might just kind of blow them off. I didn’t go to the neurologist until I had to crawl to get down the stairs. I was in college…all family in other states, no insurance. My first really noticable problem was I worked at a day care and when the kids hugged me it felt like their hands were wet. I ended up going numb from the waste down, and around that time I started sitting to go down the stairs and I realized something was really wrong.

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        • Anyway, sorry to talk so much and I don’t want to keep you up, but just make sure you tell the dr. about anything you’ve got going on…there are so many things that might be related. I hope you get a good dr. too. He or she should take plenty of time with you. Keep me updated please, and you can always email me if you have a more personal comment…just let me know on WordPress that you emailed me. I check this much more often than my email. 😉

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        • That WAS a neurologist that I saw. My PCP referred me to get an MRI since I was having the auras daily, and sometimes several times a day. And referred me at the same time to the neuro. So three months after the MRI, I finally get to see the neuro and that’s when he told me about the spots and diagnosis. He then order the spinal tap, which was inconclusive. And by that visit, I was much worse than the first one. He then ordered another MRI for the MS Specialist to compare to the first when I go see him later this month. But in the meantime, still no MS med’s.

          I haven’t experienced any numbness though. Well, a few small patches, but hardly noticeable.

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  22. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society has great information, and if it is not clear in their material, you can always call, and they are very helpful. http://www.nationalmssociety.org/index.aspx They also have local chapters all over the place with meetings on just about everything you might want to know. The MS Walk is coming soon, and if you wanted to you could participate with me…as a virtual walker of course. I’ll put more info about next month (our local event is in May, but they are starting other places sooner).

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    • Thanks! I’m on their site now. The walk sound interesting so will have to read up on it. I had been in this site when I was first diagnosed, but primarily to look at the symptoms and check most of them off. Now that I’ve accepted everything and it’s settled in, I need to start digging deeper in this site.

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  23. What a fun blog! We share a love of art and politics and that’s a good basis for a friendship!! Thanks for checking out what I do too!

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  24. Pingback: What A Start To March! « My story to you..

  25. Hello Michelle,
    It is a pleasure to meet you! Thanks for stopping by my blog and reading today’s post “What I Learned Today”. You have a great blog here, chock-full of great information and inspiration. I’ll take a gander at some of your posts in the meantime.

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  26. Thanks for liking my butternut squash post and thus introducing me to your site which had me from the first parting shot — such integrity and beauty in that woman’s lines. I look forward to experiencing more of your art down the road.

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  27. Hi from Florida (yes, the home of the Stand Your Ground “shoot first” law. We’re very proud.)! As someone who is relatively new to blogging in general and WordPress in particular, I’m always looking for new and interesting points of view. You are definitely providing that here and I am glad I found you. You have a lot of talents and it’s great of you to share them with the blogging community. Plus, it’s always very validating to realize that there are other people getting pissed off for the same reasons as I am. 🙂

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    • Hi! Thanks so much for stopping by! Anyone is free to speak their opinion here, vent, laugh, whatever. Welcome to WordPress… I started on April 14th, 2011, so approaching a year. I was immediately addicted. Never blogged before in my life, and now I have several blogs. And the community is wonderful! I am house bound most of the time, so these folks are now my family. Our opinions may differ from time to time, but we are all respectful of one another. Hope to see you back! And all states have the claim to infamy as well as claim to fames. No worries.

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  32. Nice video! 0:38 General Loan you r pure awesome!!!
    BtW: the man he has just shot was responsible for the murder of an entire family on a Saigon street!
    I have the sources,so just e-mail me for them if you doubt me.
    I’d post them here but I;m just too lazy.:-)

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  34. Pingback: 2 Blog Awards? Wow! I’m Feelin’ The Love! | Life In The Dash Lane (1962 – ?)

  35. Hi, I don’t know whether or not you will like this (because it seems a little Facebookish to me :)), but I am referring to your site and giving you a Very Inspiring Blogger Award later today. I love your photos, perspective, and views. I am even more inspired now that I have read your About page. Wow, that’s a lot to do in your time off from work! So, however you feel about it, know that this is just a token from me in exchange for the hard work, photos that make me smile, and being someone who has the courage of their convictions.

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    • Oh, thank you! It is truly very humbling and I’m at a loss for words – which is rather rare for me… 😀

      I am sincerely honored and so glad you enjoy my site. Do please keep coming back. You may not agree with everything, but that’s okay. That’s what makes us each an individual and not a clone.

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  38. I didn’t realize you also suffered with aura migraines. I do as well. I hope yours are under control. I just wanted to tell you that you are an inspiration. Though I haven’t been able to keep up with blogging or reading as of late, when I do read, your blogs are always filled with inspiring information. Hugs to you, Michelle!

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  39. Hobbler is right on about Vitamin D..Sunshine is even better..Plus, as with me, I have a severe lupus like disease, one builds up a tolerance to pain meds. Ive been using Proglumide and you will be able to take less than half the ususal dose..No prescription necessary,

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  43. I stumble upon you because I am looking for the Napam girl pictured at National Geographic. And Lo and behold, we both belong to WordPress. What a small world.

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  44. I am glad to have found your blog. Your articles and postings are informative, eye/mind-opening. I am going to visit your site. Thank you for your efforts in the fight for equality and human dignity! 🙂

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  45. You had me at “Avid Rock Climber.” I’ve always wanted to try it!!

    But then you really had me at this: “I do STRONGLY support the blogging community. Our media has become very biased, and often only disclose what they want you to know, either skewing the facts, or not disclosing all the facts. Plus bloggers view points typically come from the heart, not from a paycheck from a major media corporation.” 🙂 🙂 🙂

    I agree and agree. *Followed.* (Looking forward to diving into your blog here…)

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    • Thank you! So glad you visited and decided to stay for a while. I’m not posting as much now as I like to due to my job keeping me very busy – which is a good thing. But every once in a while I find time to either post something funny, or I ridicule the GOP and their antics.

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  46. OMG! We are so different, yet we share the same views on politics,and Because of the views of women’s rights at stake I have become an avid activist for them. I have listened to my mothers stories of the 50’s and 60’s and how hard women fought for them then. It is my genereration who was complacent, to now stand up. Our mothers have passed the wand!
    I work hard at rescuing the underdog, dogs pit bulls. Now own two who were abused and hard to place. I fostered many before adopting these two and giving them a home with my other four dogs!!!
    I love to write and publish articles for an Italian/American newspaper.

    So glad you found me. I love your blog and will be an avid reader of this one and will visit the others. So, greetings!!!
    Kelly

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    • Pleasure to meet you and thanks for coming to visit! I am soooooo for equal rights whether gender, race, sexual orientation, socio-economic background (which I firmly believe the wealthy should be treated just like any of the lower classes), and so on.

      My mother was born in 1925 so she came from a much different era and background. Poor Mennonite farmer. Even so, she worked every single day. Mom and dad owned a small business and mother ran the office and all the bookkeeping, etc. Faithfully every day 9 to 5. Would then come home and make a complete dinner for all of us. Do laundry. And anything else. Never once complaining. She died when I was 21 – just about the time when I’m becoming more interested in how she grew up. Other than the few stories and descriptions she would tell me, I really never got to know that side of her. Looking back, I can tell that she was old-school – but only in the way of morals and ethics, especially work and family ethics. Although she never spoke openly, I can now see that she was all for equal rights for women. Race is a different issue. It’s actually something she said that made me determined NOT to be a racist…..

      Our neighbor was a higher up executive at one of our largest employers in town. A gentleman from another location came in for whatever reason, but rather than stay at a hotel, he stayed at our neighbors house.

      The man was black.

      I will never forget my mother saying, “They [the neighbors] should never had let him [the visitor] stay here. Not in THIS neighborhood.” From that day on, that was the only thing about my mother than I did not want to be like. But I knew even then that she was a product of how she was raised, and that was her one old-school belief that did not evolve like the others, such as women’s rights, did.

      Well, hopefully I will be posting more often. I used to post at least one a day upwards to three. But a new job and a bit of burn-out after the election has pulled me away from writing like I used to. Last night was the first time in months that I really wanted and enjoyed posting, so hopefully that feeling will stay.

      Glad you came by and look forward to hearing your future comments. Have a good one!

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