The following is a devotion for July 10 from My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers:

“Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works; not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together.” Hebrews 10:24-25

We are all capable of being spiritual sluggards; we do not want to mix with the rough and tumble of life as it is, our one object is to secure retirement. The note struck in Hebrews 10 is that of provoking one another and of keeping together – both of which require initiative, the initiative of Christ-realization, not of self-realization. To live a remote, retired, secluded life is the antipodes of spirituality as Jesus Christ taught it.

The test of our spirituality comes when we come up against injustice and meanness and ingratitude and turmoil, all of which have the tendency to make us spiritual sluggards. We want to use prayer and Bible reading for the purpose of retirement. We utilize God for the sake of getting peace and joy, that is, we do not want to realize Jesus Christ, but only our enjoyment of Him. This is the first step in the wrong direction. All these things are effects and we try to make them causes.

“I think it meet,” said Peter, “. . . to stir you up by putting you in remembrance.” It is a most disturbing thing to be smitten in the ribs by some provoker of God, by someone who is full of spiritual activity. Active work and spiritual activity are not the same thing. Active work may be the counterfeit of spiritual activity. The danger of spiritual sluggishness is that we do not wish to be stirred up, all we want to hear about is spiritual retirement. Jesus Christ never encourages the idea of retirement – “Go tell My brethren . .”

Not to sound boastful, but I’m pretty fearless. Mostly. I have a few small phobias. I won’t tell you all of them, but one of them is general disgust of frogs, toads and those disgusting little brown spotted see-thru gecko lizards that I am quite sure come straight from the bowels of Hades. The other night, my husband was walking Buddy Love when he sticks his head in the door and tells me to grab the camera and the kids and come outside. Ugh! Gigantic, disgusting frog. Of course, I happened to on my computer at the time, so I thought I’d share my horror with the twitter. Sorry/you’re welcome. In other news, my daughter’s room is now clean and I conquered the laundry. All of it. Yesh!

The best of me (or not) on the twitter this week:

@gyoung9751 Snort! We could carry on entire conversations w/katdishionary terms alone. (in reply to gyoung9751 @katdish GAAAA! Vurp.)

@gyoung9751 Thanks. Of course….It’s like the Neverending Story, only with headcheese. (in reply to gyoung9751 Katdishionary Part 9, by @katdish http://bit.ly/dotjFe Yay! Another installment!)

@MarketerMikeE Riiiight! (in reply to MarketerMikeE RT @katdish: @MarketerMikeE I think you’re enjoying calling me a ho// Christ like way to say ho is “Ho Ho Ho! Merry Christmas!”)

I think those ads that say “make money from home on your computer” mean “send out 100s of spam comments a day from your home computer”

Oh, good! It’s raining again. I was afraid we weren’t going to have enough mosquitoes this year

Tweetdeck is working. Alas, I have nothing to say…

All aboard the lazy train! Heaven forbid anyone have to walk from the movie theater to the food court. http://twitpic.com/2397a4

@br8kthru True. Half glass full… (in reply to br8kthru RT @katdish: Old Navy Zombies at least they’re cheerful while they eat your brains.)

These look good on. (On fire.) http://twitpic.com/238spq

Old Navy Zombies http://twitpic.com/238rxy

Monkey butt! http://twitpic.com/238ezt

Monkey. http://twitpic.com/238esx

Okay people. Logging off Twitter. Got lives to change, laundry to sort, etc…

Just saw that TNT is showing “Titanic” this week. Am I the only person who saw that movie and said, “Meh…”

Milk and peanut butter sammich: It’s what’s for breakfast.

@CandySteele TWSS (in reply to CandySteele @weightwhat I’ll bet she *really* loves soaking wet ones.)

A fountain pen, of course. Ball point pens are only good for filling out forms on a plane. ~ Graham Green

My 2 fingers on a typewriter have never connected w/my brain. My hand on a pen does. ~ Graham Green

Horse placenta is trending? Um….okay.

@lainiegallagher EXACTLY like now. (in reply to lainiegallagher @katdish It remains to be seen whether you’re right. And even if you were, I’d never admit it. Sort of like now.)

@lainiegallagher Yes. But I’d always be right. Sort of like now. (in reply to lainiegallagher @katdish Hmm. An omnipresent katdish? I’m pretty sure we’d be bickering constantly. I’d NEVER get anything done!)

@lainiegallagher Well thanks. I’m not omnipresent, but you really should listen to me. (in reply to lainiegallagher Just so you know, @katdish is a know-it-all. (But I love her anyway.))

@weightwhat I think all major life decisions should be based on episodes of Man vs Food, personally.

Glad he’s got his priorities straight.

Me: Where are you going to live after college? Son: North Carolina Me: Why? Son: They have really good chicken biscuits.

Daughter & I have moved into the closet. Scary. Found a Teddy bear scotch taped to a hanger.

@SMBlooding Welcome to my nightmare. http://twitpic.com/22s321

@SMBlooding Right now I’m decrapifying my daughters room, so i’m quite horrified at the moment.

@rntammyp Yes. And ewh (in reply to rntammyp @ksluiter @katdish You obviously missed the tweet where I griped about DD going through the trash & retrieving things I threw out. : /)

@SandraHeskaKing I’ll be happy to mail it back to you. (in reply to SandraHeskaKing @katdish That’s mine! Fell out of the back of my head.)

@miller_schloss Counting my blessings, now! (in reply to miller_schloss @katdish I decrapified my kids’ room too. Including sweeping up a mountain of cat litter the baby scooped outta the cat box.)

@makeadiff21 Well, not under the bed next to a bowl w/dried up chocolate ice cream. That’s for sure. (in reply to makeadiff21@katdish Um.. ew! That is funny, though. What exactly did this eye belong to?)

Where did all this crap come from? Gaaaa!

“Oh, mom! I’ve been looking EVERYWHERE for this!” “This” being a lint covered rubber eyeball. http://twitpic.com/22qgvh

Okay, people. Off to the non-virtual world! See ya!

Must begin the decrapification process of the children’s rooms.

And now…I’m going to sleep. Hopefully a frog/lizard/toad nightmare free sleep.

@gyoung9751 Cyber fist bump! (in reply to gyoung9751 @duane_scott I don’t know, Duane, eating a writer is pretty dramatic.)

@duane_scott You ate a writer? What kind after party did you go to tonite? (in reply to duane_scott Dear writer inside me, I know you have things to say, but I’m too tired and too busy. I’m sorry. Love, Mr. Negligent)

@SBeeCreations As opposed to Wendy, the strange internet stalker chick… (in reply to SBeeCreations @weightwhat Last I checked, you were Wendy, but I suppose you could be Jenny, the strange Internet stalker chick)

Tis true>>RT @weightwhat: @duane_scott Nobody wants to hear about your poop. Well, except maybe @redclaydiaries. She’s weird that way.

@sarahmsalter If by “kiss” you mean smack with a baseball bat…Ewh. I can’t do that either. (Shiver) (in reply to sarahmsalter @katdish Awww! He’s a cutie! Kiss him and if he turns into a handsome prince, send him to me… )

@SBeeCreations SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! GAAA! (in reply to SBeeCreations @katdish kiss it! Quick!)

Did I mention I have a mild phobia of frogs?

GAAAAAAAA!!!!! GAAAAAA!!!! http://tweetphoto.com/30676769

@CandySteele DO NOT ANGER THE BEAN BOT! (in reply to CandySteele @katdish You’re supposed to apologize for that? Dang, I’ll bet that baked beans bot is REALLY mad.)

RT @mrsflinger: Costco is making me stabby. #holidayshoppingwiththemob

My apologies for not acknowledging being retweeted by the @NonGrumpyCowboy bot. Thanks!

@SBeeCreations I can imagine it does! (in reply to SBeeCreations @katdish Idea of having my very own katdish is rather thrilling )

@SBeeCreations katdish it up? Ooo! I like that! (in reply to SBeeCreations @sarahmsalter She would build my brand. Get it in local shops, blog, ship, /- basically @katdish it up )

BREAKING NEWS: It’s still raining.

@lainiegallagher LAWSOME! (in reply to lainiegallagher 80s-themed 30th birthday party. Lame or awesome?)

@WriteOnRideOn I am having a productive weekend so far. I’m showing the laundry room who’s boss. Now if only my children would follow suit.

@redclaydiaries Oh, come on! Dream crusher… (in reply to redclaydiaries @WinLiannefield @katdish I dunno… He’s not verified & no link to a website. I’m a skeptic like that.)

RT @WinLiannefield: @katdish @rayadverb is the REAL Dave Barry. His tweets are few but funny.

@RobinMArnold It must be going around. I wrote an entire grumpy twitter ho post. (in reply to RobinMArnold Husband: Are you grumpy today? Me: Yes. That is all.)

@redclaydiaries Don’t you have local charities that will pick it up? If not, do they allow burning in your neighborhood? (in reply to redclaydiaries @katdish Okay, is there a lazy way to get rid of crap?)

@HisFireFly Wait…@davebarry is on twitter? I may have to break my “don’t follow celebrities who don’t follow you back” rule.

@redclaydiaries Now see…therein lies your problem. Forget making $ from junk, just get rid of that crap! Tough love, Steph. Tough love. in reply to redclaydiaries @katdish But then EVERYONE would know where I live. Plus it’s a lot of work. Isn’t there a lazy way to make $ off ur junk?)

@redclaydiaries You need to have a big, redneck yard sale (in reply to redclaydiaries Needing to craigslist my entire basement. Any ideas on how to overcome craigslist phobia? #theyllknowwhereIlive)

@HisFireFly Nope. Not anywhere close to Manitoba. Did you know that according to Dave Barry, Manitoba literally means “many tubas”

@amysorrells Just think how you would feel if you were a dirty sock! (in reply to amysorrells @katdish I’m shaking, and I’m 1/2 a country away!)

Laundry Room: I will dominate you today! Oh yes–fear me!

I can hardly believe this is the 9th installment of the never-ending series of blog fodder known as the katdishionary. As I mentioned in my last installment, all previous katdishionary words are compiled for your convenience on the tab marked “katdishionary”. Um, except the last installment of words.

Hey…I’m busy.

And now, on with the katdishionary:

Decrapification (pronounced de-cra-pi-fi-ka-shun)

Definition: The process of purging a space of a bunch of crap you don’t need.

Origin: After months of allowing birthday party goody bags and happy meal trinket collections, et al, through my front door and into my children’s rooms, I had had enough.

Example: “My daughter’s room has reached critical mass. Let the decrapification process begin!”

grumpy ho (pronounced grum-p-ho)

Definition: slang term for someone who is often cranky, but simultaneously delightful.

Origin: Jake from Very Much Later. The original grumpy ho.

Example: “Jake Lee is my favorite grumpy ho.”

Lethargeriffic(pronounced le-thar-ja-rif-fic)

Definition: the condition of being perfectly lazy.

Origin: Brian Russell made it up on the twitter in hopes of making it into the katdishionary update more than once (see nerdgasm). A coveted distinction, to be sure. Or not.

Example: “Earlier this year, I watched the first five seasons of Lost in as many weeks, including some days when I never changed out of my pajamas. It was truly a lethargeriffic experience!”

Rectoretinitis (pronounced rek-tor-re-tin-ni-tus)

Definition: When the nerves in your eyes get crossed with the nerves in your butt causing you have a crappy outlook on life.

Origin: Candy Steele, RN and a co-worker created this diagnosis when looking for legitimate reasons for people being so difficult to work with.

Candy Steele circa 1981

“After 20 years of working for the U. S. Postal Service, Newman had a severe case of rectoretinitis.”

Vurp (pronounced verp)

Definition: a more expediant way of communicating “I just threw up in my mouth a little.”

Origin: My initial reaction after learning of Helen at Random Musing’s fondness for head cheese.

Example: “Wait…you actually eat head cheese? Vurp!”

This concludes this edition of the katdishionary. Keeps those cards and letters coming!

I don’t know what it is about grocery shopping that turns me into a grumpy ho, but I dislike everything about it–the meal planning, the list making, the coupon clipping (HA!–As if)–I’m already stressed out and I haven’t even left my house yet! Now, with most chores I find unappealing, I find that once I stop procrastinating and just do them, they’re really not so bad after all.

Grocery shopping? Not so much…

My disdain for the grocery store is well documented. In my post I do not heart grocery shopping, I took you along as I trudged through the aisles of the local Kroger, where you met the beloved Pornographic Cheese Buttler. You then shared in my outrage at the removal of said PCB in Say it ain’t so, Kro! Say it ain’t so!

Is it any big surprise that the same local grocery store would be the object of my latest incessant rant?

Back in March of this year, Billy Coffey wrote a post called Grocery store goodness where he describes the latest phenomenon encouraging excellent customer service: the “Ring bell if you received excellent customer service” bell. 

In a nutshell, here’s the concept at my store: 

• There’s a bell with a sign at each register.
• If your cashier gives you excellent customer service, you ring the bell. 
• Upon hearing the bell, the entire staff of store stops what they’re doing and applauds for the cashier a-la Pavlov’s dog. 

In his typical style, Billy ends the story with an important life lesson on the importance of doing good not for the sake of recognition, but simply to give of yourself without expecting anything in return. And while I could also go this route, I figured he already covered it, so I’m just gonna gripe. You’re welcome.

Don’t get me wrong–I’m all about appreciating good customer service. Especially since it seems so rare these days. I’m not one of those people who are rude to store employees because I’m having a bad day. I worked retail back in the stone ages when the customer really was always right. Believe me, I’ve smiled and bit a hole through my tongue more times than I care to remember rather than telling some jerk with a superiority complex who talks down to a sales associate what I really thought of them. I get it. I go out of my way to be nice to people who often have jobs I suspect they would rather not have.

But this bell crap? Not a fan. Now, if they had an option for bad customer service I might be more inclined to participate in the celebration of the good service. 

For example:

Cashier carries on conversation with bagger about how many hours the manager screwed him out of this week without acknowledging the customer whose groceries he is ringing up…

Ding!

Employees park grocery carts in the covered walkway of the shopping center instead of in the designated shopping cart area inside the store, forcing customers to push their grocery laden carts in front of the store where all the thru traffic is. For some reason, this only happens when it is raining.

Ding!

Customer seeks assistance checking out groceries from one of the five cashiers standing around the customer service desk and is told, “The self-service lines are open.”

DING!

Store management removes the Pornographic Cheese Buttler display from the store and ruins any remote possibility of me having fun at the grocery store…

DING! DING! DING!

Enough with all the positivie reinforcement stuff already if you’re not going to acknowledge and correct all the things that make grocery shopping an unpleasant experience. And bring PCB back. His public awaits…

If you consider yourself a writer–and if you’re reading this post, chances are pretty good that you do–you’ve probably asked and (hopefully) answered this question and given yourself a satisfactory answer.

As I’m assuming you’re a writer because you’re still reading this (you are still reading this, right?), then I will also assume you have hopes of having your work published. If you’re already published, kudos to you. That’s quite an accomplishment.

Still on my assumuptions bandwagon, I’m going to assume you know that good editors are the unsung heroes of the literary world. If you haven’t read his blog already, I’d like to introduce to someone I consider one of those good editors. And I’m not just saying that, I know that he is…you’re just going to have to trust me on that one. Someday I’ll tell you I told you so, and you’ll say, “Dang! She’s always right.” (Oh, I’m kidding. Mostly.)

Where was I? Oh, yeah…

I said this post was by Stephen Parolini–sort of because it’s not actually a guest post. It was a thoughtful answer to a question I posed on his blog, The Novel Doctor which I threatened to cut and paste and call a blog post. And that’s what I’m doing. The original post was A Compelling Reason, and he posed the same question: Why do you write? Read it. It’s excellent–as are all of his posts. Did I mention he’s also a fantastic writer? To understand the entirity of his answer, I invite you to go back to the post and read it and the comments. Some excellent, writerly conversation there. But on to my question:

My comment/question was:
I know you’re right. Writers write because they want to matter. But that’s assuming they don’t already matter. And at what point do you know you matter? After your first book? Your second? Does it need to be a critical and commercial success?

To quote the late John Candy from the movie “Cool Runnings”, “If you’re not enough without it, you’re never going to be enough with it.”

…or something like that…

To which Stephen replied:
Here’s the surprise (and it’s not really a surprise): we already DO matter. Every one of us. But we don’t always feel like we do. So we write. Or we draw. Or we sing. Or we tell really bad jokes in a really loud voice in a room full of strangers. We want that validation Kristin refers to above.

But you’re asking a slightly different question: When do you know you matter as a writer? The short answer? When you’ve written.

Period.

Of course, being a culture of comparison, we want a better answer than that. We want to quantify our “mattering,” fully aware that even a huge success doesn’t really change our intrinsic value – just others’ perception of it. (And in some cases, our own perception of it – which explains why some successful authors appear to be full of themselves.)

Okay, so let’s quantify it. Let’s put aside the psychological (and spiritual, because it really is a spiritual question, too) and look for a moment at the practical.

Probably the best measure of whether or not you “matter” as a writer (ie: are someone others might consider a success), is if you sell enough copies of your current book to keep publishing houses interested in investing in the next one. According to this measure, as long as you’re getting published, your writing matters. This is true whether your books are consistently on the bestseller list or practically unheard of except to your loyal fans.

Of course, there are exceptions. Here’s one: “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Did Harper Lee’s writing matter less because she published just one novel? Do I even need to ask that question?

In summary: you already matter. You just don’t feel it. So you write. And you seek validation for what you write – because it’s validation of you. And you know you shouldn’t seek validation for yourself this way, so you try to deny the belief that “more sales” means “mattering more.” But you have a hard time denying this because you’re human and broken and you’ve been taught that success is measured in numbers, not intangibles. Is it any wonder why the writer’s life is such an emotional roller coaster?

Okay. That’s enough meandering on this topic for now. I’m sure I’ll have more thoughts five minutes from now. Maybe even contradictory thoughts. But hey, that’s just how I roll.

One last thing, though. It’s another mathematical formula, but I think it’s an important one for writers to consider, no matter how many books they sell:

A writer really only matters to readers one at a time.

To read more from Stephen Parolini, read his blog The Novel Doctor and follow him on the twitter at @noveldoctor

Kazuko Hosokawa Dishman (aka - my mom)

This past Sunday, in celebration of Independence Day, I posted the Declaration of Independence in its entirity along with my own personal reflection as to importance of what that historical document set out to do. I am proud to call myself an American first and foremost. My ancestors on my father’s side arrived and settled in what is now the Commonwealth of Virginia in the 1600′s. But that’s only half my ancestry.

My father met and married my mother in Japan. She was born Kazuko Hosokawa. The Hosokawas were one of the ruling samurai clans of Japan for many generations, and the family coat of arms (my mother was happy to report after a recent visit) is proudly displayed in the Tokyo National Museum.

So, while I am VERY much American, I am also very proud of my Japanese heritage, and I wanted to share a little of it with you today.

Miyamoto Musashi

In the second month of 1641, Miyamoto Musashi (considered to be the greatest samurai who ever lived) wrote a work called the Hyoho Sanju Go (Thirty-five Instructions on Strategy) for Hosokawa Tadatoshi. This work overlapped and formed the basis for Go Rin No Sho, more famously known as The Book of Five Rings.

The Way of Walking Alone
(or The Way of Self-Reliance)
✦
Do not turn your back on the various Ways of this world.
✦
Do not scheme for physical pleasure.
✦
Do not intend to rely on anything.
✦
Consider yourself lightly; consider the world deeply.
✦
Do not ever think in acquisitive terms.
✦
Do not regret things about your own personal life.
✦
Do not envy another’s good or evil.
✦
Do not lament parting on any road whatsoever.
✦
Do not complain or feel bitterly about yourself or others.
✦
Have no heart for approaching the path of love.
✦
Do not have preferences.
✦
Do not harbor hopes for your own personal home.
✦
Do not have a liking for delicious food for yourself.
✦
Do not carry antiques handed down from generation to generation.
✦
Do not fast so that it affects you physically.
✦
Do not be fond of material things.
✦
Do not begrudge death.
✦
Do not be intent on possessing valuables or a fief in old age.
✦
Respect the gods and Buddhas, but do not depend on them.
✦
Though you give up your life, do not give up your honor.
✦
Never depart from the Way of martial arts.

Second Day of the Fifth Month, Second Year of Shoho (1645)
Miyamoto Musashi

“The basic difference between an ordinary man and a warrior is that a warrior takes everything as a challenge, while an ordinary man takes everything as either a blessing or a curse.” – Don Juan

P.S. – If you haven’t done so already, head on over and wish Billy Coffey a Happy Birthday!

Many of you know Billy Coffey as a small town southern man. Lover of all things country, from his cowboy hat, to his boots to his choice of music. But it hasn’t always been that way.

Billy was once an affectionado of screaming guitars and heavy metal music. In honor of his birthday today, I present Billy Coffey: The early years:

Billy Coffey: The Early Years

Happy Birthday, Billy!

(Sorry/you’re welcome)

image courtesy of photobucket.com

Though my workdays are normally filled with all the commotion and stress that a thousand college students can generate, the days between June and mid-August are mine alone to enjoy. It’s only slightly ironic and more than a little unexpected to me that summer break means even more to me now than it did when I was in school, but it’s true. Never let it be said that a little separation between yourself and others is a bad thing.

Despite the fact I have plenty to keep myself busy, I also have plenty of time to myself. Time that will be spent writing. Which is what I tried to do just a bit ago, and with unfortunate results.

I had just started typing when the buzzing began. First in one ear and then the other and then back again. My right thumb punched downward on the space bar and trampolined my hand upward, waving through the air.

“Stupid fly,” I muttered.

The buzzing returned, and this time the fly actually bounced itself off my head. More waving. More missing. Then the creature circled around and landed right on top of my computer screen, staring at me.

Black, juicy one. Hairy legs and monstrous eyes. And a wingspan that seemed almost unnatural.

Where it had been and how it had gotten into my office escaped me, and I really didn’t care. All that mattered was that I went back to work. I shooed it away and went back to my typing.

SMACK!

Against my head again.

I wheeled my chair around and swiped at it, missing the fly but not the stack of books on the opposite table, all of which tumbled to the floor.

SMACK!

“Dang it, you come back HERE!,” I yelled. “I’m gonna KILL YOU!!”

I roamed around my office for the next five minutes. Found nothing, of course. No buzzing, and no kamikaze attacks. So I sat back down and started writing. Four paragraphs later,

SMACK!

And then after that SMACK!, it stuck. To my head. And I swear, I swear to you, that fly made a beeline toward my ear. I was convinced it was going to burrow in and eat my brain.

I jumped up, slapping at my head and flailing my arms in every direction. The fly somehow managed to retreat back to whatever hell it came from and left me alone. For the moment.

But I knew it would be back. Oh yes, I knew. Which is why I put on my cowboy hat (to prevent any future burrowing) and started to fake type.

Two minutes later, buzzing again. And just at that moment I transformed myself into some strange Jedi/Mr. Miyagi/redneck hybrid, sliced through the air with an open palm—

—and connected.

The fly tumbled backward through the air and crashed against the far wall.

That was five minutes ago.

I’m back at my computer now. Order has been restored. But now I’m suffering through the fits and stops of trying to write, because every sentence I’m trying to type is interrupted by more buzzing.

The fly is still alive, though just barely.

It managed to right itself a bit ago by flopping back onto its legs, but it can’t do much else. Every attempt to take to flight has been both paltry and meaningless.

And now I feel guilty.

There are certain religious adherents who would say I sinned a bit ago, that every creature is worthy of respect and life and that by denying those things to them I deny them to myself. Others would say the sin was letting both haste and anger lead me to do something I now regret.

I suppose a sort of atonement is called for now, though I’m not sure what the proper course of action is. Should I walk over and euthanize it with my boot. Or should I try to nurse it back to health with small tweezers and bits of rancid meat? I’m not sure.

I am sure of this, though. We can try to model our lives to the Good, to walk straight and never wander, to be our very best selves. And sometimes that will work. But who we truly are deep down in our broken souls will always be there, ready in an instant to bare its teeth.

That is, I suppose, why we are all three people in one—there’s the person we want to be, the person we are, and the person who must daily choose which way to lean.

To read more from Billy Coffey, visit him at his blog What I Learned Today and follow him on twitter at @BillyCoffey

image courtesy of photobucket.com

It’s been awhile since I’ve read the Declaration of Independence, but I think it is an amazing document. As I read it last night on my iPhone, head propped up on several pillows from the comfort of my very comfortable bed in my very comfortable, air conditioned house while sipping on an iced cold Diet Coke that I was able to purchase by getting into my late model Jeep and driving 5 minutes to the grocery store (which I will complain about in a post later this week), something occurred to me. Something that has been come to my attention more and more as of late. I take a lot of things for granted. Things that people left their homelands to seek; that men and women have fought and died for.

No, not my bed, or house, or Diet Coke, or car. Sure, I take those for granted, too. No, what I take for granted is the right to pursue the desire for all these creature comforts. Nothing on the aforementioned list is of great importance to me, but if I were to be denied the right to choose any of those things, or if I was told someone else with more authority would chose them for me, I wouldn’t like it. Not one bit.

I don’t talk politics on this blog. But as I read this document written and signed 234 years ago, it occurred to me that many have forgotten (if they ever knew) the reasons the founding fathers felt compelled to write it in the first place. If it’s been awhile since you’ve read it, I invite you to read it with a fresh perspective in light of the political climate of this country. Our United States of America. And remember that We the People are we, the people.

In Congress, July 4, 1776

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new guards for their future security — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. — The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our People, and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from Punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond seas to be tried for pretended offences:

For abolishing the free system of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislature, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty and perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions we have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have we been wanting in attention to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do.

And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

——————————————————————————–

John Hancock

Button Gwinnett
Lyman Hall
Geo. Walton

Wm. Hooper
Joseph Hewes
John Penn
Edward Rutledge
Thos. Heyward, Junr.
Thomas Lynch, Junr.
Arthur Middleton

Samuel Chase
Wm. Paca
Thos. Stone
Charles Carroll of Carrollton
George Wythe
Richard Henry Lee
Th. Jefferson
Benja. Harrison
Thos. Nelson, Jr.
Francis Lightfoot Lee
Carter Braxton

Robt. Morris
Benjamin Rush
Benja. Franklin
John Morton
Geo. Clymer
Jas. Smith
Geo. Taylor
James Wilson
Geo. Ross
Caesar Rodney
Geo. Read
Tho. Mckean

Wm. Floyd
Phil. Livingston
Frans. Lewis
Lewis Morris
Richd. Stockton
Jno. Witherspoon
Fras. Hopkinson
John Hart
Abra. Clark

Josiah Bartlett
Wm. Whipple
Saml. Adams
John Adams
Robt. Treat Paine
Elbridge Gerry
Step. Hopkins
William Ellery
Roger Sherman
Samuel Huntington
Wm. Williams
Oliver Wolcott
Matthew Thornton

image courtesy of photobucket.com

What do you get when you combine rain every single day, grocery shopping, sporatic technical problems with your website, Gmail problems and massive twitter problems? A very cranky katdish. Actually, I didn’t realize I was all that cranky this week. Until I read my tweets.

I think I reached my boiling point yesterday when twitter kept crashing. So, being the mature adult that I am, I tried to find someone to blame. If you are someone who schedules your tweets, please don’t be offended–it’s not you, it’s me…

And now the best of me (or not) on the twitter this week:

SNORT!>>>RT @BigBags: That’s what she said! http://twitpic.com/21us8u

I’m leaving my house. And hey, the back door is unlocked! #4square.

One and only #FF: @billycoffey because he’s all pouty & sad I have more followers than him. Also? He’s the best writer on the internets.

@Sernyl_Dymensha Thanks for the follow. That is the freakiest twitter background I’ve ever seen

I’ve probably offended a few people on Twitter today. Fortunately, they have scheduled all their tweets so they’re not here to read mine.

@MichaelDPerkins I like the ones who say, “Please excuse the auto DM” Why do something you knowingly have to excuse (in reply to MichaelDPerkins @katdish I noticed a few schedule the same verses everyday @ the same time. Really bothers me. Also loathe auto dm’s)

@br8kthru You know me. I’m shy. (in reply to br8kthru @katdish Could you tell us how you really feel? I’m having trouble understanding what you really mean to say )

@arestlessheart yes please and thank you (in reply to arestlessheart @katdish lol – oh dear. what do you want? I’ve been off corn for months. want some substitutions?)

@duane_scott Thank you for being strong enough to agree with me. Snort! (in reply to duane_scott @katdish Thank you for being strong enough to voice your opinion… I AGREE!)

@MarketerMikeE I’ll take that as a compliment Mike. (in reply to MarketerMikeE @katdish you’re a mean low carb Christian)

I guess I picked the wrong week to give up high-fructose corn syrup.

It’s called “social media” not “Look-how-clever-I-am-talk-amongst-yourselves-media”

This may be the low carb monster talking, but all you people scheduling clever remarks and banter on twitter? UR part of the problem.

And not necessarily in a good way >>RT @SBeeCreations: #FF @katdish but beware, she may change your life

Feeling a bit guilty. Went to Facebook b/c twitter was down. Like hanging out w/your kid brother cuz all your friends are out of town.

RT @Ade1965: Brazil has broken twitter #failwhale

Okay Twitter. Whateva…

@prodigaljohn Twitter, for example (in reply to prodigaljohn Of all human activities, writing is the one for which it is easiest to find excuses not to begin. R. Harris)

@SandraHeskaKing Oh, that’s taken care of. I’m having a Brecktastic day (in reply to SandraHeskaKing @katdish Thanks! Hope you have a less than skunkalicous day!)

@VariantVal Well, I was planning on watching some redneck fireworks in the neighborhood, but if the rain doesn’t stop… …we may have to settle for firearms. (in reply to VariantVal @katdish Thanks for the RT, Kathy .. how are you today? Big plans for the weekend?)

(Breathe) Okay. I did NOT lose my long-winded email, which, come to think of it, maybe isn’t such a good thing

STUPID, STUPID G-MAIL! Just ate a rather long-winded email

RT @marni71: Just found some air freshner. Now it smells like death and lavender.

RT @shrinkingcamel: Whistling at work may be a quaint idea, but in reality it is extremely annoying to everyone else within earshot.

Dear rain: okay. We’re good for now. Thanks. http://twitpic.com/21ra8k

@joannamuses or for white people (in reply to joannamuses @katdish They sure do. Rather odd moves for that song though)

And in other news…Apparently, it’s monsoon season here in Houston.

@curtharding Oooo! I’m telling! (in reply to curtharding Sometimes when I think no one’s watching, I close one eye while using two fingers to smash people’s heads in meetings.)

RT @RobinMArnold: Advice-painters, please use your best painting manners, don’t slop & glop paint. Can’t do that, find something else to do

@gabbysherri SNORT!

(Note: Insert incredibly inappropriate DM here)

@gabbysherri Perhaps I should write a PTA post. (in reply to gabbysherri

@weightwhat -thanks for the RT- I feel a Pit Post coming on!)

@weightwhat I could make some calls. Maybe @gabbysherri could get you a guest spot. (in reply to weightwhat @katdish Yes. Yes it was. And I’m hoping to get booked on Oprah because of it.)

@weightwhat Thanks. And thanks for writing a post. It was very brave of you to share your q-tip addiction.

@redclaydiaries Awesome! Did you hear? @billycoffey got a tatt. Sadly no SEALS or snowballs: http://bit.ly/9FSHF1 (in reply to redclaydiaries @katdish Oh trust me. U were on my mind as I shopped. #cheesebuttlerhasfriends)

@redclaydiaries Hey! Pick me up some deer urine, would ya? (in reply to redclaydiaries Heard of Reefer Madness? This is the redneck version: http://twitpic.com/21anif. #bassproshops)

@Becks_Beer Oh, you silly foreigners! Don’t you know football is played with a brown leather ball? (in reply to Becks_Beer @katdish hahah no we mean football : ))

@Becks_Beer You mean soccer? (in reply to Becks_Beer is anyone else suffering from football withdrawel ???)

@duane_scott Being ill prepared for zombie attack. (in reply to duane_scott I’ve got a question. (May be used In blog) what is one thing that makes you worry?)

Time for my favorite dinner: the one I didn’t cook.

@br8kthru Of course not. But I am freakishly strong for a girl. (in reply to br8kthru @katdish what- are you made of stone, woman!? )

@br8kthru Nah. But I thought it was touching. (in reply to br8kthru @katdish did you get choked up?)

Went to see Toy Story 3 today. Very well done.

@jiagirl That’s right. Dream big or go home I always say. Or something like that… (in reply to jiagirl @katdish Oh & that person has to steer the wayward cart & then follow you home & unpack. A girl can dream right?)

@jiagirl To make it a pleasant experience for me, folks would interview me & ask what meals I liked., then they would pick out ingredients… And then they would follow me home and prepare the meals for the week, then label & freeze them… I don’t think I’m asking too much. (in reply to jiagirl @katdish Who knows? If they gave you a donut when you walked in & had someone follow you to pack & unpack-then maybe I’d be ok w it.)

I hate grocery shopping…I feel an incessant rant coming on.

Look how this Lexus is parked. Is it any wonder why some animals eat their young? http://twitpic.com/20suxu

And now I must face my arch nemesis: The grocery store.

“A very important blogger? Talk about your oxymorons!” – Sealy Booth, #bones

So many things I want to write about. Need to put pen to paper before they’re lost forever in the whirling mess that is my brain.

RT @tremendousnews: Canadians gave the world Justin Bieber. The world destroyed our city at G20. Touché, world. Touché.

@marni71 You’re so ghetto. (in reply to marni71 @sarahmsalter @katdish Sup yo?)

Well ladies and gentlemen, the wait is over! Here ya go: http://bit.ly/9UL1Oa

Let me ask you a question: How many nights have you lay awake hoping & praying there was a single resource for all katdishionary terms?

@billycoffey You’re one classy redneck! (in reply to billycoffey How I spent my Saturday evening: http://twitpic.com/20au1x)

RT @tremendousnews: The G20 is just like the ’70s! Minus the music, love and not-throwing-poo-at-people.

@sarahmsalter Um…yeah. Because you’re really not refined if you don’t know what “fatassistosis” means (in reply to sarahmsalter @katdish You are SO awesome! You just instinctively know what your public wants/needs. )

Coming soon to katdish.net: A new tab which will contain all katdishionary terms alphabetically & in one place. I know…you’re welcome.

Gotta go get some hair color. I’m looking very skunkalicious at the moment.

@Helenatrandom Its okay Helen. Go to your happy place. Where you never have to dust. (in reply to Helenatrandom @katdish @sarahmsalter Shame on you people reminding me of places I don’t remember dusting. Ever…)

@SandraHeskaKing oh, I’m not dusting. Sarah is. I’m just giving unsolicited advice. (in reply to SandraHeskaKing @saramsalter @katdish Why are you dusting?)

@unmarketing Congrats. I hear that a fairly competitive softball division. (in reply to unmarketing Hit two triples in fat guy over-30 softball last night. I may need a double leg transplant. Can’t move)