9.13.11

First and foremost, on Sunday our nation memorialized the 10th anniversary of Sept. 11, 2011. The entire week leading up to that day was an emotional roller coaster. Many thoughts and feelings and vivid memories of that day came rushing back to you at the most peculiar times...a phrase, a scene on television, a song....would rush memories back and you would feel as you were the person you were 10 years ago.

On Saturday, September 10th, the Razorbacks played at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. The theme of the day was "Razorbacks, remember." The fans were told to dress in red if their seats were in even sections, to dress in white if their seats were in odd sections and to dress in blue if their seats were in the student section. I must say...I think Razorback nation pulled it off.

On Sunday, the 11th, the Squirrels had a kickball game. One of our "Nuts" is a firefighter for the LRPD. He brought out some equipment and set up this memorial for 9/11. Never forgotten.



Squirrels were home team...




Baby Deacon--1 month old on Sept. 7, 2011...isn't he just the cutest, sweetest baby on the planet??? Love him.

Saints Opener--9/8/11 at the Rafferty house. Standard wings and cheese/sausage platter present.

Fuller family came to watch the game with us. Aren't they cute???

Crowd at the Raff house watching opening game.

Crowd from another angle.

Sam was fed up with the Saints...she went to bed. She fortunately left BEFORE we lost on the last FREE play of the game. I won't even go there...

First tailgate of 2011: War Memorial Stadium. Razorbacks Remember. (me, Becky and V)

Tim and I have been busy bees. We listed our house TODAY. Think good thoughts...and if anyone has a spare St. Joseph...send him our way!! ;)

Finally, it's been five years since we lost Ms. JB. Just as I posted last year, I know she's always watching over us. We love you Ms. JB!!!

9.23.10

A little bit of this and that (for documentation purposes):

Historical moments in time:
"The Affordable Care Act is already making a difference in the lives of millions of Americans," Obama wrote in a letter posted at Whitehouse.gov. "And starting tomorrow, the Patient's Bill of Rights goes into effect, ending some of the worst abuses of the insurance industry and putting you, not your insurance company, in control of your healthcare."

There are six parts of Obamacare that will show their face today:

1. Insurance companies will no longer be able to deny children coverage for pre-existing conditions.

2. Children of parents with insurance will be allowed to remain covered under those policies until the age of 26.

3. Insurance companies will be forbidden from terminating coverage for any other reason than customer fraud.

4. Insurance companies will no longer be able to cap the amount of benefits and treatment a person can receive in a lifetime.

5. Insurers can no longer charge customers for preventive services like mammograms and colonoscopies.

6. High-risk pools are mandated to cover those who have been denied coverage because of pre-existing conditions.




So...I guess we'll finally get to see if this will really "SAVE" America...or if it will lose even more jobs and money. Time will only tell.

FOOTBALL:
The Arkansas Razorbacks are ranked #10 --and are going to play #1 Alabama at Razorback Stadium on Saturday.

How pumped am I? Ummmm....yeah, that would be pretty pumped.

The blog "Blog Hawg" shared this feature that was in USA Today. WOOO PIG SOOIE!!!

"Arkansas, QB Ryan Mallett ready to stand up to Alabama."

I'm SOOOOOOO ready for about 7:00 PM Friday night. Let the weekend begin!!

RANDOM:

Because it wouldn't be a blog post without something off the wall, right? Well, Tim and I got tickets to see Wicked in November. YEA!!! And. Mr. and Mrs. G got tickets for the same night...so we're going to have a grown up date (dinner and a show). How fabulous?!?

a moment of silence

I will never forget. For the past 9 years this day has been a day I dread. No matter how great life seems--on 9/11 I am always overcome with a sadness that consumed me in September 2001. Now we have politics and hurt feelings causing so much grief between muslims and the rest of our nation. A moment of silence and peace (and no politics) for the lives lost on that dreadful day. None of us should ever stop remembering how it felt that day 9 years ago.

God Bless America.

mosque at ground zero

Never, in a million years, could I have ever imagined that I would type those words, "mosque at Ground Zero."

On Tuesday, August 3, a NYC panel voted to clear the way for construction of a mosque just two city blocks away from ground zero.

From The Columbus Dispatch:

Shortly after the panel voted, Mayor Michael Bloomberg called the mosque project a key test of Americans' commitment to religious freedom.

"The World Trade Center site will forever hold a special place in our city, in our hearts," said Bloomberg, a Republican turned independent. "But we would be untrue to the best part of ourselves, and who we are as New Yorkers and Americans, if we said no to a mosque in lower Manhattan."

Um...excuse me, Mr. Bloomberg, but I don't think the opposition is opposed to a mosque in Manhattan. I think the opposition is opposed to a mosque at GROUND ZERO. Regardless of "the message" that building a mosque there would "send" to America--the radicals (you know, the ones that flew airplanes into the towers in the first place) will view this as a victory. A coworker expressed that she thought they would most likely view it as a shrine to the damage that they did to us that day.

I am sick to my stomach over this. It's a slap in the face, in my opinion. This will not encourage "religious tolerance," any more than it will encourage "religious INTOLERANCE." In my opinion NOTHING related to religion should be built anywhere near Ground Zero. 3,000 people were killed that day from over 30 countries and numerous religions.

If the mayor of New York feels that to deny a mosque in that location is to be untrue to themselves as New Yorkers, well, then I feel that to spend any money in New York City would be untrue to my beliefs that we are all Americans and we were all devastated that day. Anything more specific than a multi-cultural (multi-religious) ANYTHING is disrepectful to the victims of that tragic, tragic day. (please read: I do not want a Catholic church or a Baptist church or a Buddhist temple there...I want anything built in that specific area to represent ALL cultures and ALL religions).

To me, doing anything less than that is an insult to the other cultures, creeds, religions, etc. that died that day. I keep seeing a bunch of comments, "what about the muslims that died" and "it's about tolerance." It breaks my heart, but allowing a mosque would not create tolerance. It would re-open wounds that are mending...why can't a MULTI-CULTURAL community center be built there to promote religious tolerance? Why does it have to be a specific religion--at that, the specific religion that these radicals came from?

I have no intention of ever going back to NYC (tourism is more than people from other countries, Mr. Mayor)--and I encourage you to do the same.

Remembering 9/11/01

I will never forget. For the past 8 years this day has been a day I dread. No matter how great life seems--on 9/11 I am always overcome with a sadness that consumed me in September 2001. Each year gets easier, but I will always take a moment to lift prayers for those lost, those left behind, and our country. None of us should ever stop remembering how it felt that day 8 years ago.

God Bless America.

P.S. My flag is hanging today in front of my house...is yours?

American Heroes

Well, this is a post that is out of the norm--but then again, "Randomness by Shay" is pretty normal on this blog, so I'm going with it. With September 11 looming in the future--I always find that I get pretty nostalgic. Remembering that horrible day, but also thankful for the soldiers and soldiers' families that have fought and died for my freedom. The freedom that allows me to get up and go to work each day without worrying if I'm going to get there safely or not. The freedom that allows me to keep this blog. The freedom that allows me to start and raise a family how I so choose. I am forever thankful for our military and the families that have shared their loved ones with us.

On that note, I'm going to share a link to Moogie's World that talks about what her MOWC is doing for our WWII veterans.

Also, Moogie sent me an email that I wanted to share. Puts things into perspective, if you ask me. It's kind of long but well worth the read. Not sure who the author is of the email, but James Bradley is the author of Flags of Our Fathers. While reading, please take a second to think about what our past, present and future military means to this nation and Our freedom.

Each year I am hired to go to Washington, DC, with the eighth grade class from Clinton, WI where I grew up, to videotape their trip .. I greatly enjoy visiting our nation's capitol, and each year I take some special memories back with me. This fall's trip was especially memorable.

On the last night of our trip, we stopped at the Iwo Jima memorial. This memorial is the largest bronze statue in the world and depicts one of the most famous photographs in history -- that of the six brave soldiers raising the American Flag at the top of a rocky hill on the island of Iwo Jima, Japan, during WW II.

Over one hundred students and chaperones piled off the buses and headed towards the memorial.. I noticed a solitary figure at the base of the statue, and as I got closer he asked, 'Where are you guys from?'

I told him that we were from Wisconsin. 'Hey, I'm a cheese head, too! Come gather around, Cheese heads, and I will tell you a story.'

(James Bradley just happened to be in Washington, DC, to speak at the memorial the following day. He was there that night to say good night to his dad, who had passed away. He was just about to leave when he saw the buses pull up. I videotaped him as he spoke to us, and received his permission to share what he said from my videotape. It is one thing to tour the incredible monuments filled with history in Washington , DC, but it is quite another to get the kind of insight we received that night.)

When all had gathered around, he reverently began to speak. (Here are his words that night.)

'My name is James Bradley and I'm from Antigo, Wisconsin. My dad is on that statue, and I just wrote a book called 'Flags of Our Fathers' which is #5 on the New York Times Best Seller list right now. It is the story of the six boys you see behind me.

'Six boys raised the flag. The first guy putting the pole in the ground is Harlon Block. Harlon was an all-state football player ... He enlisted in the Marine Corps with all the senior members of his football team. They were off to play another type of game. A game called 'War.' But it didn't turn out to be a game. Harlon, at the age of 21, died with his intestines in his hands. I don't say that to gross you out, I say that because there are people who stand in front of this statue and talk about the glory of war. You guys need to know that most of the boys in Iwo Jima were 17, 18, and 19 years old - and it was so hard that the ones who did make it home never even would talk to their families about it.

(He pointed to the statue) 'You see this next guy? That's Rene Gagnon from New Hampshire. If you took Rene's helmet off at the moment this photo was taken and looked in the webbing of that helmet, you would find a photograph... a photograph of his girlfriend. Rene put that in there for protection because he was scared. He was 18 years old. It was just boys who won the battle of Iwo Jima .. Boys. Not old men.

'The next guy here, the third guy in this tableau, was Sergeant Mike Strank.. Mike is my hero. He was the hero of all these guys.. They called him the 'old man' because he was so old. He was already 24. When Mike would motivate his boys in training camp, he didn't say, 'Let's go kill some Japanese' or 'Let's die for our country.' He knew he was talking to little boys. Instead he would say, 'You do what I say, and I'll get you home to your mothers.'

Arizona ... Ira Hayes was one who walked off Iwo Jima .. He went into the White House with my dad. President Truman told him, 'You're a hero' He told reporters, 'How can I feel like a hero when 250 of my buddies hit the island with me and only 27 of us walked off alive?' So you take your class at school, 250 of you spending a year together having fun, doing everything together .. Then all 250 of you hit the beach, but only 27 of your classmates walk off alive. That was Ira Hayes He had images of horror in his mind. Ira Hayes carried the pain home with him and eventually died dead drunk, face down at the age of 32 (ten years after this picture was taken).

'The next guy, going around the statue, is Franklin Sousley from Hilltop,Kentucky . A fun-lovin' hillbilly boy.. His best friend, who is now 70, told me, 'Yeah, you know, we took two cows up on the porch of the Hilltop General Store. Then we strung wire across the stairs so the cows couldn't get down. Then we fed them Epsom salts. Those cows crapped all night.' Yes, he was a fun-lovin' hillbilly boy. Franklin died on Iwo Jima at the age of 19. When the telegram came to tell his mother that he was dead, it went to the Hilltop General Store. A barefoot boy ran that telegram up to his mother's farm. The neighbors could hear her scream all night and into the morning. Those neighbors lived a quarter of a mile away.

'The next guy, as we continue to go around the statue, is my dad, John Bradley, from Antigo, Wisconsin , where I was raised. My dad lived until 1994, but he would never give interviews. When Walter Cronkite's producers or the New York Times would call, we were trained as little kids to say 'No, I'm sorry, sir, my dad's not here. He is in Canada fishing. No, there is no phone there, sir. No, we don't know when he is coming back.' My dad never fished or even went to Canada. Usually, he was sitting there right at the table eating his Campbell Soup.

'You see, like Ira Hayes, my dad didn't see himself as a hero.. Everyone thinks these guys are heroes, 'cause they are in a photo and on a monument. My dad knew better. He was a medic.. John Bradley from Wisconsin was a caregiver. In Iwo Jima he probably held over 200 boys as they died. And when boys died in Iwo Jima , they writhed and screamed, without any medication or help with the pain.

'When I was a little boy, my third grade teacher told me that my dad was a hero. When I went home and told my dad that, he looked at me and said, 'I want you always to remember that the heroes of Iwo Jima are the guys who did not come back. Did NOT come back.'

'So that's the story about six nice young boys. Three died on Iwo Jima , and three came back as national heroes. Overall, 7,000 boys died on Iwo Jima in the worst battle in the history of the Marine Corps. My voice is giving out, so I will end here. Thank you for your time.'

Suddenly, the monument wasn't just a big old piece of metal with a flag sticking out of the top. It came to life before our eyes with the heartfelt words of a son who did indeed have a father who was a hero.. Maybe not a hero for the reasons most people would believe, but a hero nonetheless.

We need to remember that God created this vast and glorious world for us to live in, freely, but also at great sacrifice Let us never forget from the Revolutionary War to the current War on Terrorism and all the wars in-between that sacrifice was made for our freedom.

Remember to pray praises for this great country of ours and also pray for those still in murderous unrest around the world.. STOP and thank God for being alive and being free at someone else's sacrifice.

God Bless You and God Bless America ....

Next Friday, September 11, 2009, please remember to show your PRIDE and REMEMBRANCE of lives lost for this nation--be it on a battlefield or in the workplace--and hang an American flag in front of your house.

Let us show those that despise us that we fear them not.

Now, I'm off my soapbox. Have a wonderful day.

Wet July

So, this time last year I was blogging about how hot and miserable it was outside. This year? A totally different story. I don't want to jinx it--but this summer has been an absolute pleasure! Right now it's sunny with an expected high of 85. In July. In Arkansas none the less. I know what you're thinking--what alternate universe are we living in?!? I'm thinking the same thing. To make it even more humorous--my coworkers in the Boston, MA area are complaining about how hot it is up there. It got to a whoppin' 85 yesterday! Here I am talking about how wonderful 85 degrees is in July!!

The Arkansas Democrat Gazette has a story in today's paper that shows just WHY we're experiencing this break in the heat. Read headline: "Rain lingers; LR records wettest July in 118 years." 118 years. I believe it! I was just telling my mama yesterday that there is just no place for the water to go. We're flooding! Our farmers and ag workers are beside themselves. They usually have to worry about droughts. Now--they're worrying about flooding!

Crazy, mixed-up world. Makes me think--we should REALLY get on getting the gutters cleaned. Having the roof cave in would be no fun.

Miss V--I can't resist: "This cool July weather makes me feel bless. It so beautiful out side. Makes me not want to sit in side. Now--make sure you keep me in the black." (Mrs. G and Mama--I'm sure you find the humor in the italicized statement. For everyone else--just know that there is someone in someone's life that actually writes like this on a day to day basis, egad).

And just for a little bit more fun--can you ever imagine what the theme of the groom's table is going to be at our reception? Hmmm...I'll give a hint:

The BEST time of the year is just around the corner...Tim and I are starting to get a little antsy. TGI(A)F!!!

Government Healthcare Plan

I know that some of you do not agree with my politics, and that is our God given right as Americans. To agree to disagree.

With that said, the healthcare proposals that Congress/Senate are putting out there at lightning speed terrify me. There are parts of every proposal that would take away Americans' greatest right: Freedom.

For example, it would be ILLEGAL to have private insurance under the House proposal. ILLEGAL. That is not America. That is terrifying.

Please, I beg you...look into this and decide if this is something YOU would want your children and grandchildren to have to live by. This is no longer about red vs. blue or liberal vs. conservative. THIS is about our rights as Americans. Don't sit quietly by. Call your Senators and Congressmen and tell them that the current healthcare proposals are unacceptable.

What's more? Congress would be grandfathered in and NOT have to use the healthcare plans they force down America's throat. They will have access to the best that America offers, while you and I will have to stand in line with the hundreds and thousands of other Americans needing to see a doctor.

Yes, reform is necessary, but do you want to wait in line like you do at the DMV for a high fever or severe cough? Start with eliminating coverage mandates, regulate the court systems, eliminate frivolous law suits.

To learn more, please visit http://www.healthcare.cato.org/.

Please, if not for yourself, for your children, your nieces and your nephews, for your grandchildren.

If you feel you need further research on what nationalized healthcare can do--google Canada and Great Britain. It's not working out so well for them, either...

A Mardi Gras to Remember!

I know it is not even officially Mardi Gras until tomorrow...but 2009 was no doubt a huge year for Our Little World!! As we were planning lunch on Friday with Tim's cousin, Amanda, she went into labor! So...we drove to New Orleans knowing we were going to get to meet the newest addition to the family, Maxx Robert!! What a joyous moment. He is SO perfect!!

So, after meeting the newest Henderson, Tim and I headed back to my parents house where several of our very close friends were...and we went to watch the Friday night parades. We all had SO much fun!! And made a team effort to save parking spots in front of the house...here are some pictures from Friday/Friday night:

But none of the above is the moment you all are looking for, now is it?

So, Yes. It happened. I'm a little scarce on detail as I was the absolute LAST person to know...but Mr. Timothy Patrick Rafferty knelt on one knee and asked me to marry him. Of COURSE I said YES!! My sister, friends, parents, some of his family...they were all in on it and they were there to celebrate with us! To the point that Veronica admitted she felt like 007!! The ring set is my namesake's, my grandmother, Shay. Tim bought the diamonds, but the set is hers. It is so special to be wearing something that she wore every single day. I'm so blessed with the family and friends in my life and look forward to all the new adventures that being a Rafferty will bring!

We have decided on a date (for those of you that know me...you know that "planning" is nothing that I put on a back burner!)

April 24, 2010 is the big day! We'll be exchanging our vows at the St. Andrew Cathedral in downtown Little Rock. We are so excited and are looking forward to sharing our big day with everyone.










Well, after all THAT excitement...

Tim had to go home on Sunday. Lauren, Bobby and Jessica went home, too. Our friends, Sunnie and Michael came into the city to watch Bacchus and a couple of other parades with us. It was fun...though we were bummed Tim and the gang couldn't be there with us.

I really couldn't stop looking at the thing!!

FPU, Historic Day and More...

Well, today was my third session of Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University. This week was more intense than the previous two lessons. The homework assignment is definitely the most intense we've had thus far...we're supposed to develop a monthly budget where every single dollar of your income should be allocated to some category. When we're finished with the budget, the total household income minus total expenses should equal zero. Shoo! I'll be working on that for a minute...and hmmm...to even track down Tim to contribute his input?!? Should be interesting.

Some key points of the lesson (because we mainly focused on the actual budget making) were:

• Budgeting is not a method by which you make other people behave. Budgeting is a method by which you make money behave.


• People don't plan to fail, they fail to plan.


• Money flows from those who don't manage it and to those who do.

Next on the agenda...

Today was undoubtedly an historic day. Barack Obama became the first African American man to be come POTUS. Regardless of your political affiliation or views, it is a moment in time we'll all remember.

Finally, yesterday Tim and my brother went to see Bloody Valentine in 3D. Tim brought the glasses home and decided Tyson should model. Thought I'd show off our precious 3D glasses model:

History

Just to note--a major historical event occurred last night...

The United States of America elected the first African American man into the Presidential office.



Just thought I'd make note...because I don't have much else to say about the matter...

It was truly amazing to witness such a historical event and I am glad that our nation seems to be improving as far as cultural differences go. Let's only hope it continues to improve and not get worse...