Pro choice/anti-abortion

This has come up in responses to another post and I thought I would post my personal feelings on the topic. This might sound weird, but I am an anti-abortion pro-choice person. I know that sounds like an oxymoron and may very well be, but to me it makes sense and maybe after hearing my views you will understand where I stand on the issue. I would never have an abortion. It would never even be a consideration. BUT I don't feel my choices and decisions should affect every woman in the country or the world for that matter. These are personal choices and should remain as such. I would never condemn another woman for having an abortion as I don't know what is going on in their life at that time and it has to be one of the hardest decisions a woman would ever have to make.

If you are thinking how would she know I can answer that from personal experience. At 24 I was pregnant, but not in a position to give the child a good and secure home. I could have had an abortion, but as I said for me that was a moral choice and I couldn't do it. I chose to have the child and place her in adoption, to give another family a chance to have a child. When she turned 18 she contacted me and we have been in touch, as friends, ever since. First letters, audio tapes, and now we email. She thanked me for giving her such a wonderful family and a chance at a better life. But that was my personal choice. There was a bumper sticker at one time that said... don't want an abortion? don't have one! and that spoke for me.

I don't agree with groups marching on so-called abortion clinics or family life clinics because they don't agree with abortions. At the same time I don't agree with another woman trying to convince another to have an abortion just because she can! That makes no sense to me either. I believe in choice and there are more than one choice. Abortion is one, but so is adoption and so is keeping and raising the child. But no one person, no one political party, no one organization can speak for every woman in America.

So, I end this with the same line I began it... I am a anti-abortion person (personally) who believes in pro-choice. Hopefully this makes some sense to others now. I think there can be pro-choice people who understand the anti-abortion side as well. I look at life from both sides now...

PS... I got this email from a woman who rates my poems, and felt I would post it here as an addendum to this missive.

Great poems. By the way, I read you blog on anti-abortion pro-choice and I loved it. I thought I was the only person in the world that felt that way. My mom had the German Measles when she was pregnant with me and in 1964 she could have had a legal abortion since it was dangerous for both of us but she chose not to. I respect that so much that I would never have an abortion and if anyone asked my opinion I would tell them the same. However, I have had many friends over the years that have had abortions, and that is not a deal breaker. I’m still their friends even though I don’t agree with their choices, but it is their choice to make. If you want to post this somewhere, feel free. Keep up with the great poems.

Lyda

Way To Go John McCain!!!!

At least one of the presidential candidates wasn't afraid to put a woman on the ballot! Wow! Brave move John McCain and a smart one. While Obama, the candidate of change, played it safe and stuck to the old school and old politics of choosing an old white male as his running mate, McCain chose to the road of change and scrapped politics as usual and picked a woman. She is the first woman ever to serve on the republican ticket! Talk about change and a bold move!

BREAKING NEWS
MSNBC and NBC News
updated 18 minutes ago
WASHINGTON - Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain has chosen Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate, campaign officials told NBC News on Friday.

She would be the first woman to serve on a Republican presidential ticket. The anti-abortion Palin would also be the first Alaskan ever to appear on a national ticket.

Palin, 44, was elected Alaska's first woman governor in 2006. The state’s voters had grown weary of career politician Gov. Frank Murkowski, whom she defeated in the GOP primary.

Regardless of whether one agrees with the republican view of politics I feel he should be give a lot of credit for being the real candidate of change.

Temptation Addicts!

It all started with a coupon. Buy one get one free. The product seemed innocent enough. After all our cats had never liked cat treats very much, so I used the coupon and got two packages of Temptations Treats. First Hidey came to life. This is a cat who has liver problems and often lives under the bed where I feed her special food and make sure she has plenty of water. I would take her out and lay down and pet her. Since she's an older cat the idea was to spoil her a bit. Well, when the Temptations came out so did she! This cat who ignored my husband for the seven years we've been here is now his best buddy. She used to lay on my lap, but now I'm an afterthought. She sits on the shelf in front of his chair and waits for him every morning and again when he comes home in the evening. She stares at the bin we keep the packets in until he opens it up and this cat who could barely walk is now dancing the jig!

And then there's little BJ who at 2 1/2 is a bit of a devil. He is another who got addicted to these little treats. We now know why they call them Temptations. Even after he has had the daily allotment, per the package information, he will sit and claw at my husbands shoe trying to get more. He can be sound asleep in another room, but as soon as my husband opens a package, he flies from where he is to sit in front to get his share. It's amazing to watch.

I had told another friend, who also has cats, and warned her they are addicting to some cats. We do have others who ignore the treats entirely. But she wanted to try them. She called me last night to let me know, that thanks to me, her cats are now addicted and won't eat anything else. I did warn her!

So, for all you cat owners out there who are tempted to try the Tempation cat treats I have only this to say. Make sure you stock up on coupons. I now find myself going on ebay and getting as many coupons as I can. I am down to my last three of the latest - $1.00 off per package so will be on the hunt again. In the meantime, did I just hear a stampeded towards my husbands chair? Meow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Leave a message at the beep...

When I call someone and get an answering machine I leave a message letting them know the purpose of the call and ask them to please call me back. If I have no message I hang up before the beep so they don't end up having to erase a blank message. What I hate is when people call me and leave a message stating...demanding...that I call them. No reason why, just ...Bonnie, this is so and so, call me. Uh uh! I am not going to return that call! I want to know why I should call you. I figure if it was important you would have left a more detailed message. But to just demand a return call doesn't work. I am not curious enough to know why you want me to call. So, if you want a return call from me leave me a real message letting me know why I should call you back. Otherwise you will be waiting a long, long time for my return call.

Juror Number 60

A few weeks ago I received my very first summons to appear for jury duty. I had to go today for the jury selection. The process was interesting, but a bit confusing. I still don't understand why some were picked for both trials coming up this week (three of whom barely spoke english) and some of us were not picked at all. There were 110 perspective jurors and only two civil trials coming up this week, so you would presume they could pick 24 different jurors. I was really surprised that the one juror, whom no one could understand, and had to be asked to repeat his information three times and still no one got what he said, was picked for both juries. Still the process was interesting.

First we all had to meet in court room 1 and were told to sit on one side. On the other side were the people involved in the cases coming up this week and their attorneys. After waiting and waiting and waiting past the 9:30 a.m. summons we were told to rise and the judge came in and then we sat. They then read this pledge we were to swear to, but at the last four words I put my hand down ... so help me god. As an atheist those words mean nothing to me and as far as I'm concerned have no business in a court of law. But that's just my humble opinion.

Then they did the roll call and as our name and number were called we were to stand, state our name, community, occupation, spouses place of employment and occupation. We had a little blue card to read from and it amazed me how many had to refer to it for those short little sentences. But we finally got through all that and then the judge went through a series of questions...are we u.s. citizens, etc etc etc. One question was did we have valid SC drivers license. He admitted this next question was dumb but he had to ask it anyway... do any of you not understand the english language. Then with a twinkle in his eye he said, "of course, if you don't understand english you have no idea what I said and won't be able to answer. So, if everyone would just look at the person next to you and if they have a spaced out dumb look on their face let me know, because they didn't understand what I said." Now we get back to the DL. He had to go through the same thing for the second trial and when he got to the DL question, he said, "unless someone has lost their drivers license within the last 15 minutes I'll presume you all still have a valid licence." So, at least we had a judge with a sense of humor.

Anyway... to my disappointment I didn't get picked for either trial. I know, I know, the idea is to get out of jury duty, but this seemed like a unique experience for me. After all at age 60 there aren't a whole lot of knew things to experience and I would have made a good juror. I did enjoy the time I had there and wish it could have been longer, but you never know... I may get called again someday.

In the meantime, this is juror number 60 signing off.

Hiding :-)

I wish I had gotten a picture of this, but it was one of those things you don't think of until later. On tuesday I gave the cats their flea treatment, then treated Bug for ear mites and also gave him his medicine for his sinus congestion. Later in the day when it was time for another dose I couldn't find him ANYWHERE! Now this is a 25 pound cat so not easy to miss. Later I went into my bedroom to fold laundry and when I looked over at my closet. Beneath my clothes are two plastic bins with pants that no longer fit my husband but we keep hoping. These bins come right to the bottom of the clothes and hanging off the end of the top one was the end of a black and white tail and two black and white hind legs. I guess he figured if he couldn't see me I couldn't see him and he didn't realize his hind end was hanging out giving him away. I left him there so he wouldn't realize his hiding spot had been discovered, but dang, that would have been a funny picture.

paper work

It is waaay too hot to do anything outside today. Took Ginger to the vets for her annual shots. Later went out for the mail and to take the trash can back and nearly died of heat stroke! So decided it was a good day to clean the area I have designated for my office. Finally got my paper shredder working again. Every once in awhile I have to do a repair job on it and remind it what it's function is. So shredded old bills, papers, etc. I always tell Keith I like to put out clear bags of shredded paper to make my neighbors wonder what I'm up to! Why does she always shred everything? hmmmmmm..... anyway.... it's looking more like an office space again and less like a paper mill. Now wasn't that an exciting post? Bet you wish I'd post more things like this!