Sandy is a Proud Grandma

Sandy is a very proud grandmother of all five of her wonderful grandchildren. Each of them contribute to the family by bringing their own unique talents and gifts to add to the family in a perfect way. More than anything, they’re all great people who contribute positively to their communities, schools, and families.

Today, though, we will specifically recognize one of her grandchildren for a highly anticipated achievement and for accomplishing something that will benefit her future and impact the lives of others. Before we do that, however, let’s get caught up on the last few travel days.

On Friday, May 10, we left Chattanooga, Tennessee, and headed east. Neither of us had ever been to Chattanooga and we decided that we should have that new experience. We stayed at a brand new Hampton Inn in the East Ridge portion of Chattanooga; in fact, the whole area is new. There are several new businesses being built all around the hotel, but, fortunately, the Chick-Fil-A next door was already built and open for business so we went there for dinner. We keep our meals pretty simple on the road.

Our drive that day took us into North Carolina, which was really the point of this whole trip. 

Sandy’s only granddaughter has lived in the Raleigh-Durham area of North Carolina since she was about ten years old. Four years ago, Savannah (Sandy’s granddaughter), graduated from high school and we took a similar road trip then to go to the high school graduation. We traveled north and then east through North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin (Edie’s mission area), Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Washington DC (where we stayed for a week), Virginia, and into North Carolina for the graduation.

But we’ll write more about Savannah in a moment. We spent two nights (Friday and Saturday) in Morrisville, NC, which is by Raleigh/Durham. We met Sandy’s son and daughter-in-law and a few other friends and family for a luncheon on Saturday, May 11. Prior to the luncheon, we had some spare time to see sites; an online search provided us with a great place to visit just 15 minutes from our luncheon location.

Neither of us were familiar with this piece of history so we learned something new. Located in Alamance, NC, right next to the town of Burlington, NC (the location of our luncheon), is a pre-revolutionary war battlefield that we were able to tour. Instead of trying to repeat all the information from the tour guide, we’ll just share the following information found at https://historicsites.nc.gov/all-sites/alamance-battleground

In 1771, an armed group of backcountry farmers calling themselves Regulators battled with royal governor William Tryon's militia on land now preserved at Alamance Battleground State Historic Site. Growing anger over expensive land, embezzlement of tax money, and collusion between creditors and public officials led small farmers in piedmont North Carolina to form associations, write petitions, and seek peaceful redress of their grievances. A lack of response from the royal government only deepened the Regulators' resolve, and rising frustration later gave way to violence. The Regulator movement ended with their defeat at Alamance, but their struggle sent shockwaves through North Carolina and Colonial America, creating tensions that would reignite during the American War for Independence.

Located on the grounds of the site is the Allen House, a log dwelling characteristic of those lived in by backcountry farmers on the western fringes of the colony in this period.  

The two buildings on the land along with their furnishings are authentic to the time. We were able to take the following pictures of the two structures and the battlefield around them.

There are STEEP stairs (no hand rails) to an upper bedroom behind that door.

The stairs lead to this bedroom.

This is a smoke house for their meats.

One of our favorite things to do is visit historic sites.👍

After that tour, we had a wonderful luncheon at a family-owned Italian restaurant where the two of us managed to find a healthy chicken salad. Most importantly, it was nice to spend time with family and friends.👪

Then it was time to go to the first of the two events that are the main reasons for this entire road trip. Four years have passed since Savannah graduate from high school and, once again, we are road tripping to see Savannah graduate – this time from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. The May 11^th evening commencement was for her specific department’s graduation; she’s a Biology major who will be teaching school in the fall. This graduation was held indoors at the Carmichael Arena, which was a major bonus since it was raining outside during the entire ceremony. After the ceremony, they had refreshments, covered by tents, thankfully, outside on the grounds. Never underestimate the power of a good umbrella or tent.

Savannah 😊

The continued forecast of rain threatened to cancel the school-wide graduation on the morning of May 12^th (yes, that was Mother’s Day – UNC’s spring commencement is always held on Mother’s Day) as it is held outdoors at Kenan Stadium. If the ceremony is canceled, it doesn’t get rescheduled. But the rains cooperated and allowed the graduation to proceed.

At the conclusion of the graduation ceremony, we left North Carolina and headed to our next stop. Stay tuned for our next installment and find out where we are now. There may be more historical site pics in future blogs. 👌👍😀

Family and Friends

We mentioned in a previous post that Sandy's granddaughter, Savannah, is in town for three weeks. Sandy likes to be an equal opportunity grandmother, so since we posted pictures of Isaiah and Kobe on Tuesday, today we are posting pictures of her other two grandchildren, Savannah and Jonas. Isaiah, Kobe, and Jonas are the sons of Paul and Ines (Sandy's son and daughter-in-law); and Savannah is Bill and Karen's daughter and step-daughter (Bill is Sandy's son).

The first picture is of Savannah and Jonas at the District in Green Valley. Savannah is smiling for the camera, but we don't think Jonas really gave a hoot about being photogenic.

The next picture is of Jonas at the Claim Jumper. He wants to know where his food is and why it's taking so long.

And then there's Savannah again, smiling pretty and anxious for lunch.

Lunch is our favorite hobby--unless there's dinner...or breakfast, and then it's a three-way tie. Oh wait--then there's snacks. Snacks are our friends.

Sandy also enjoyed dinner with her dear friend, Vicki, of whom we have no picture. However, we do have a picture of one of the birthday cards that Vicki gave to Sandy (they go to dinner every year to celebrate their birthdays). Click on the card for a bigger view.

On the inside of the card it says something about memory loss--we forget what exactly.

Roll Call - Revisited

Another installment of Roll Call. Get to know your Senators. Information on the senators was taken directly from their websites.


Pat Roberts (R) Kansas

Energy - In order to stabilize energy prices, we need to find new energy resources at home to increase our supply. With this in mind, I support the exploration and production of our oil and natural gas resources in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). Furthermore, I support additional exploration and production in the eastern Gulf of Mexico and off our shores.

In addition to finding new sources of fossil fuels, we need to look to renewable resources to help meet our energy needs. Kansas plays a vital role in the renewable energy industry. Kansas is home to 7 operating ethanol plants with many more in development. Currently ranked 7th in the nation, Kansas produces 170 million gallons of ethanol per year with an additional 40 million per year scheduled to come on line soon. As most Kansans know, the Great Plains and prairies provide a plentiful amount of wind. Several utility companies have come to realize this and have invested in wind energy in Kansas.

Environment - With my support, in 2005 and 2007 Congress passed and the president signed into law two bills (P.L.109-58 and P.L.110-140), which begin to decrease our dependence on foreign sources of energy and increase our supply of domestic energy resources. Among other things, the bills promote the development and use of renewable energy resources produced and harvested in Kansas, including ethanol and wind power. For example, the 2005 law provides incentives for Kansas oil and gas producers to explore resources within our own country.

Small Business - I have long supported efforts to help small businesses grow and expand. Small businesses are America's job creators. They create hope and opportunity for our entrepreneurs and workers, and are essential to our nation's economic prosperity. In the past decade, more than 60 percent of all jobs were created by small businesses. These businesses employ more than half of the nation's private-sector workforce. According to the Small Business Administration, 69,241 businesses with employees in Kansas, an estimated 96.6 percent, or 67,120, are small firms.

I support tax policies to encourage small business growth and to reduce the regulatory burden on these businesses.

Although most working Americans receive health insurance from their employers, small businesses find it particularly difficult to offer benefits because of the high cost. Small businesses should not have to choose between staying in business or offering health insurance to their employees. This is why I am a cosponsor of S. 1955, the Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization and Affordability Act. This legislation allows small businesses to pool together and purchase health insurance, giving these businesses better purchasing power, much like large businesses such as Microsoft or Ford have long enjoyed. These plans, known as Small Business Health Plans (SBHPs), will give small businesses an affordable choice for health care and will allow these businesses to choose a health plan that best fits their needs. (Blogger Comment: As long as it isn't socialized medicine and doesn't involve federal funds, we're for the Small Business Health Plans.)

Second Amendment - I am a strong supporter of congressional efforts to preserve our Second Amendment right to bear arms. Furthermore, I am opposed to actions that infringe on those rights and do not effectively reduce crime and violence. Firearm laws should only be enacted with the intent to punish criminal activity. Rather than chipping away at fundamental liberties backed by the Constitution, we should target the real problem-mainly crime. Attempts to reduce violent crime must focus on punishing criminals, not punishing law-abiding citizens and businesses.

Immigration - I have and will continue to support legislation that strengthens the security of our borders and reduces illegal immigration. I will carefully scrutinize proposals that affect our nation's immigration policies and will work to ensure that Americans are first in line for available jobs and that those remaining jobs go to a legal workforce.

With the growing diversity of our work force in Kansas, it is essential for our continued economic growth that official business is conducted in English. I have long supported declaring English as the national language of the United States. We have an obligation to ensure that non-English speaking citizens have an opportunity to learn English and fully share all the economic, social and political opportunities existing in Kansas and the rest of the nation.

Family - Throughout my years as a public servant I have consistently supported efforts that promote strong family values based on a strong moral foundation. I believe that every life is a precious gift that we all have a responsibility to protect. As my record clearly shows, I oppose abortion on demand and the federal funding of abortions. In addition, I continue to oppose the use of tax dollars to fund abortion services at home and overseas.

Along this line, I am a cosponsor of the Marriage Protection Act. The resolution proposes to amend the Constitution to define marriage as the union of a man and a woman. I support this legislation because I believe it is wrong for a select minority to impose their definition of marriage on the nation, as we have witnessed through the actions of some state supreme courts.

Kansas adheres to a longstanding policy that does not recognize same sex marriages. That policy was confirmed in April 2005 when seventy percent of Kansans voted overwhelmingly in favor to amend the state constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman. I continue to support efforts that preserve the institution of marriage as a cornerstone of our society.


Carl Levin (D) Michigan

Education - Senator Levin has worked consistently to make the federal government an effective partner in helping Michigan communities meet new and growing challenges to our public education system.

In 1979, his first year in the Senate, (Blogger Comment: The people of Michigan need to consider replacing Senator Levin. Thirty years in one political office makes a career politician, which is never a good idea, regardless of how much the politician is liked. Career politicians eventually lose sight of the state and people they represent and get lost in their personal power and ambitions, and many times involve their politics in the political maneuverings of lobbyists. There may not be a term limit law, but the American people can impose term limits by voting the person out of office. We feel this way about all politicians, Republican or Democrat.) Senator Levin supported congressional efforts to create the U.S. Department of Education, making it a cabinet level agency, with a mission to ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence throughout our nation's schools (Blogger Comment: this is not the role of government, especially at the federal level). Today, the department's elementary and secondary programs serve over 15,000 school districts and more than 50 million students attending over 92,000 public schools (Blogger Comment: Yet, education is still not “equal” throughout the nation. That’s because equality can’t be achieved by an agency in Washington, D.C. There are stories across the nation of inner city schools not receiving the attention and funding that higher economic areas receive. The local communities, parents especially, need to be involved in the education of local youth. They are the ones who have the most to gain with educating their children.). The department also provides grants, loans and work-study assistance to more than eight million higher education students.

Senator Levin believes federal funds for education should be targeted to help recruit and train quality teachers, reduce class size, repair aging school buildings, integrate technology into the classroom, provide after-school activities for all children and help establish a system that holds schools (Blogger Comment: what about parents?) accountable for children's academic progress. (Blogger Comment: while these ideas sound good, federal funding for education is not the role of the federal government. Furthermore, part of the reason we have parents who are disconnected from their childrens’ education is because the federal government is trying to assume the parents' responsibility. First and foremost, family should be involved in education and next should be the local communities. Just because they hold public office doesn’t mean that the members of Congress or the President know anything about educating children.)

Minimum Wage - Senator Levin is an original cosponsor of the Fair Minimum Wage Act, which would raise the minimum wage by $0.70 in three increments, with an end result of a minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. On January 10, 2007, the House of Representatives passed the minimum wage increase. The Senate passed the minimum wage bill on February 1, 2007.

Senator Levin believes that a full-time minimum wage job should provide a minimum standard of living in addition to giving workers the dignity that comes with a paycheck. These lower paid workers, many of whom have entered the workforce due to the welfare reform, should be rewarded for going to work, not penalized by a poverty level wage.

A higher minimum wage has the potential to ensure that lower paid workers will be protected from falling into poverty and possibly back on the welfare rolls. (Blogger Comment: In addition to not being professional educators, elected officials are also not economists. It would be wonderful if everyone could live above the poverty level. It’s a shame that there are people who have to work so hard for so little. Unfortunately, significant minimum wage increases would shut down small businesses and lay off workers at larger businesses since neither could afford the pay increases. We would see a huge increase in inflation and joblessness. There is no quick or easy way to fix this problem. However, low wage jobs can be used to provide needed experience to move to more stable businesses with higher wages.)

Prescription Drugs - While prescription drugs hold the promise of healthier lives for the American people, the high cost of those drugs puts them out of the reach of too many. In the worst cases, our citizens go without these drugs; or they try to make their prescription last longer by only taking one pill when they should take two; or they skip a day. For many seniors, prescription medications are becoming increasingly difficult to obtain in the United States at affordable prices. Far too often, seniors must choose between paying their utility bill or paying for their prescription.

Senator Levin has traveled throughout Michigan and listened to the stories of citizens who are trying to pay for expensive prescriptions. They wonder why our neighbors in Canada are able to buy the exact same drug, manufactured in the United States, for half the price. Senator Levin's office conducted a survey in July 2003 of ten of the most commonly prescribed prescription drugs. In every case, the prescription cost significantly less in Canada than the same drug in the United States. A survey done by the Associated Press in November 2003 found that prices for ten of the most popular drugs are 33% to 80% less expensive in Canada than in the United States.

Senator Levin has long been a supporter of drug re-importation legislation, allowing Americans to buy U.S.-made drugs at Canadian prices. In 2005, he co-sponsored a bipartisan bill, the Pharmaceutical Market Access and Drug Safety Act (S.334), that would allow U.S. licensed pharmacists and drug wholesalers to import FDA-approved medications from Canada. (Blogger Comment: There are two issues here. The first is that Canada has socialized medicine which means that the Canadians are still paying high prices for their drugs; they are just paying the majority of it through their approximately 35% or more income tax, not to mention Canada’s 15% sales tax. It just appears that they are paying half price for prescriptions at the counter. The second issue is that America has a problem with insurance companies. Insurance companies monopolize and control American medicine. Before we entertain the idea of socializing our own medicine, we need to address the monopoly that insurance companies have on our health care.)