An Historic Day

Hello, F.O.T.E.s,
Things are going great here at The Fold. We're in near-daily contact with The Ram and counting down the time until he's home on leave. As you can imagine, we're all very excited.
Another piece of excitement was the Iraqi Elections. Now, don't fault me for being an unabashed flag-waver and don't call me naive...I know the elections weren't the magic pill that was going to make everything just peaches and cream in The Sand Box, but, my goodness! Some of those folks got to cast their first-ever ballot in an election with more than one "candidate"--and, to the best of my knowledge, none of the candidates in *this* election were liable to tie up and beat citizens who refused to vote for them. (Back in advertising class, that would have been called a "hard sell" ;-) I've got to admit, I had a few misty-eyed moments yesterday--watching Iraqi citizens proudly holding up their ink-stained fingers; Iraqi guardsmen dancing in the streets after having voted; and yes, hearing of the bravery of these desert-toughened people to just stand in line, knowing that at any minute someone could try to blow them up. I was touched by all that, and more, but the scene that most moved me was the 79 year old man, being supported by other men on either side of him, painstakingly picking his way a mile to the polling place to cast his vote. Do you realize how *easy* we have it here? Hop in the car, drive a mile or two, hop out probably a few feet from the polling place door...go in, maybe stand in line a few minutes, go into the machine, pull the curtain and push a few buttons. Our votes are then magically tallied by computer in a cozy building with lights, toilets and delivery pizza. Oh my. Would *we* basically crawl a mile to cast a vote? Also, did you see the pictures of the election workers, tallying by hand paper ballots by candlelight? Candlelight! Abe Lincoln would be proud! Fellow patriots, cherish our country! It ain't perfect, but it's ours!
Yes, it was an historic day yesterday. I'm proud to have had a "bit part" in it, having kissed The Ram goodbye a few months ago, so he could take *his* place in making history happen. I'm a proud Ewe.
Well, gotta run...the Lambies will be needing me soon. Y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe

Quote of the Day: "Will Daddy be bringing my horse in a truck when he comes home? 'Cuz I've seen horses in trucks before, and they don't seem to mind." Musical, inquiring as to the mode of delivery of the horse she's praying for.

One Last Soapbox Moment...

Ok...Indulge The Ewe once again. This is a lengthy article, but one of the best I've read in a while. I just feel compelled to share it...

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=42462

Snap Shot of The Fold

Let's see, just for history's sake:
A week ago last Thursday, my fuel pump went out at Walmart. It was just about to blizzard again...temp dropping rapidly...I was glad we were at Walmart with heat and food and water and a toilet. The little things, you know. AAA called me a wrecker and MommyX3 came and rescued us. Finally got my van back this past Friday. I actually enjoyed the week without the van--living "off the land" (i.e. from the pantry and deep freeze). I got a lot of work done. The children had various projects going, so cabin fever never set in.
Saturday, two days ago: another rapid temp drop, accompanied by really weird weather. It began by spitting snow (as Mama would say). Actually, it looked more like itty bitty tiny hail. Then, the wind picked up and it started snowing more violently. A friend reported that visability went to zero while she was on the road. It snowed furiously for a while, then, as if Someone hit the switch, it stopped and the sun came out brightly. I looked for a "snowbow" but didn't see one. Eventually, the sun went back in and it started snowing again. Sunday, we stayed home from church, due to snowy/icy roads. Our church is two counties over, via back roads. We decided it best to stay put.
Today (Monday) we drove to a small community post office a few miles up the road and mailed the Ram a birthday box. I'm hoping it will make it Over the Pond by his birthday in the near future. The post mistress there was really nice and interested in our situation. I assured her we'd be seeing her frequently over the next year. I like those little post offices. Seems like the folks there have more time to deal with you and are more blessed with patience than people at the bigger p.o.'s. I know that's not always true, but I have had better service at those little shacks than at the marble edifices in town. You know, I'm liable to ask a "dumb" question, and I like folks to have some grace for this small-town girl.
Well, Tiny Tot has designs on my time and he assures me he can not wait another minute. The Ewe better run...Y'all keep your wool dry...
The Ewe

Quote of the Day: "Mama, what does 'analyze' mean?" --4 year old Musical

Got My Rotten-Tomato Shield Up, a.k.a. Sanctity of Human Life Sunday

Hi, Friends.
I've known for a few weeks now that I needed to pen some words about Sanctity of Human Life Sunday. Many churches observed it last week or will tomorrow. It makes my heart heavy to talk about, for I know my beliefs on the subject will anger some folks whom I think a lot of. For some reason, though, this year I feel compelled to share a bit of what I think. Those close to me have heard me ask before, "Are you 'pro-life' or just 'anti-abortion?'" I believe abortion is abhorrent. I also believe that the roots of it go back a lot farther than Roe v. Wade. I think abortion has been cultivated for decades in our society, with its disdain for children and basic disregard for the imperfect. Look up "Margaret Sanger." (Her group incubated the modern Planned Parenthood.) Though lauded today as something of the "mother of birth control," her views (if folks were aware of them) included sterilizing the "unfit" and basically killing off whole races...Shocking. Think, "Hitler." From what I've read of her thoughts, she blames pretty much all evil on children and the bearing of them. Now, for the tomato-dodging...if you're so inclined, the below is a link to a "food for thought" article. Be warned...if you poke around at that website too much, you'll most certainly find a lot that makes you mad and that you disagree with. I don't necessarily agree with all of it...it's an ever changing site with new stuff all the time, so no one would agree with everything. For now, I'm just encouraging you to read the one article. One of those, "things that make you go, 'hmmm...'"
Sorry this isn't one of those humorous glimpses of The Fold. Hope you will allow me this indulgence of my soapbox. The Lambies are always providing more fodder...just stay tuned.
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

http://www.ladiesagainstfeminism.com/artman/publish/article_1636.shtml

UPDATE as of Jan. 29:
Take a look at this link, too:
http://www.chroniclesmagazine.org/News/Check/NewsCJC012405.html

The Little Mama that Could

Hello, F.O.T.E.s,
Well, The Ewe has accomplished a feat she's been in training for for years. Countless books on the subject, many conversations with veterans and 3 (count 'em) sewing machines later, I have finally sewed something!!! Wahoo!!! You see, The Ewe is afflicted with a horrible disease: perfectionism. I never wanted to start sewing anything if I didn't feel like I already knew exactly how to do it. And frankly, skills like sewing are not too impressive in the "hypothetical." Yes, for literal years, I've studied words like "selvage" and "grainline." I've read several books on the subject. I've perused the pattern books at the fabric store and even bought a few patterns. I've oogled prints and solids and flannels and knits and wovens and all manner of bolts of cloth at Hancock's. I've wandered longingly down the sewing machine aisle at the local discount store, thinking that if I only had a machine with an owner's manual (The Ewe *reads* instructions now!) I could sew. So, last Fall, I took a huge step. I bought a machine! GASP! What waste! I already had inherited 2!!! I just really felt that if I had a machine with a booklet I could study, I could figure out how to thread the thing. Well, to borrow a popular, yet quite annoying new catch phrase, buying that machine really took my seamstress training "to the next level." For months, I've practiced threading the machine--top thread and bobbin. I've studied the owner's manual on how to use the autothreader and bobbin and the 1 step buttonholer. I've stitched random blocks of fabric together. I've made tubes and turned them. I even bought polyfill. After months of these sewing calisthenics, at the urging and initiative of my dear friend, I went so far as to buy a pattern and a few yards of cloth. It seemed the time of my testing was near. I think I can...I think I can...I think I can...I think I can...
Last Sat. night, I pulled that tissue out of the envelope and made the first tenuous snip into the pattern. Two nights later, Lovable wore her brand new, Mama-made nightgown. The hem isn't straight. I had put the neck facing on inside out and had to seam rip it off and restitch. There's a spot on one sleeve that's caught in the seam. And there isn't a button on it yet...BUT I did it! I sewed something. Victory is sweet. The confidence crisis is over! Well, not entirely, but well on the way.
..It was arduous. Tedious. Downright bullet-sweating scary, but I sewed. Seam after seam...I sewed. At midnight....I sewed...after breakfast....I sewed...I sewed and sewed until that gown was ready to don. Lovable was happy that Mama had made it, but not nearly as excited as I was.
I've got fabric now to make Musical a gown. With the success of Lovable's gown to spur me on, I know I can do it. I know I can...I know I can...I know I can...I know I can...
Well, friends, The Ewe must go. Feeding time here at The Fold, you know. Y'all keep your wool dry...
The Ewe

Quote of the Day: "That smell we heard was the toaster going out..." The Ewe, explaining to the Lambs the source of a stench.

Turkeyrific Good Time

This is a true story...the names have been changed to protect the...umm...well, er....umm...those involved.

Lovable to her sisters: "Let's play turkey!!!!"
Musical: "YEAH!!!!!"
Carnival: "OK. Who fits on the table?"


That, F.O.T.E.s is the entry AND the quote of the day.

Strange Sighting

Hello, F.O.T.E.s! The Ewe apologizes for the lack of attention to the blog recently.
Well, I thought I'd share with you an odd appearance here at The Fold lately. My girls tell me that a squat little sprite visited them one night last week after I had tucked and prayed them into bed. They said she was wearing a red tulle tutu (yes, you read that right) and an angelic smile as she ballet-jumped into their room. They said she was doing dizzy, lopsided pirouttes and waving her arms around like a monkey. Her long, graying brown hair was flowing around her.
I should also tell you that both Carnival and Lovable had each lost teeth within the week and that particular night, they had scurried around dropping lost canines and incisors into Ziplocs--then stuffing the Ziplocs under their pillows. Yes, The Tooth Fairy exists here at The Fold.
The Old Gal had no trouble finding Lovable's tooth, but Carnival wanted to have a little fun at T.F.'s expense. Carnival had pushed her tooth way up under her pillow and T.F. was left with no option but to tickle the girl out of the way.
After depositing the standard dollar (inflation), the Round One grand jete'd out of the room with a flourish.
Last I saw her, The Tooth Fairy was in the bathroom, tugging the tutu off and stuffing it into the bathroom closet.
We did have some trouble with Musical that night. She was disappointed T.F. hadn't left her a dollar. I explained that The Tooth Fairy isn't running a charity and to get a dollar, you have to lose a tooth. She didn't like that plan and argued that it ought to count for something that she had just learned to blow a bubble with bubble gum. I assured her that, even though her name clearly defines her as the TOOTH fairy, I'd plead her case with T.F. and get back to her.
So, if you see a short little round lady in your children's room one night...CALL THE POLICE!!! This is a one-family only Tooth Fairy--but Walmart sells red tulle... WINK!
Well, must run...Y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe

Quote of the Day: "Don't eat the BONE!!!!!!" (Musical, warning Tiny Tot to avoid the banana stem.)