Thanksgiving Holiday Message

Barbara R. sent this message:

I received this beautiful message of thanks and wanted to pass it on! Hope you are all enjoying your day!
The Season of thanks and giving is upon us. We give thanks for family, for friends, for life’s gifts and simple pleasures. We give thanks for our country and our men and women in our Armed Forces. We give thanks for this year’s challenges and opportunities. We give thanks for the smells coming from the kitchen, for the love, the hugs and kisses, the football and the parades.

In giving thanks we are restored, renewed, and rededicated so we can go forward to do even greater things: Move Mountains, make peace, give our very best and sing the songs we were meant to sing.

So break bread, sit in awe of the season and be grateful for so much love and for our blessings. In these brief moments of Thanksgiving we can feel the Oneness of it all.

Thanks to Barb R. for sending us these beautiful thoughts!

NOTE:  By the way, the picture is of the oakleaf hydrangea outside our front door.  Thanks to my better half for taking it.

Never Underestimate an Old Broad

If you dance, you'll love this.  If you don't, you'll wonder how an older woman (92) can even do this!  You may be prompted to download (free) Microsoft Media Player II to play the video.  Thanks to Linda for sending this to Joan.

As always, Joan sends us good stuff!

http://www.aarp.org/community/NorthernJoy/video/Never_underestimate_an_ol/2183772.

What Do We Know about the Tea Party Patriots?

On November 16, 2009, Pennsylvanians saw another Tea Party Patriot demonstration. According to the Associated Press, the protest brought approximately 1500 to 2000 people-as estimated by police- to Harrisburg.

Since it's time I found out more about this organization-and since some of you have friends who have traveled as far as Washington, DC, to take part in the demonstrations- I went to the web for information. Normally, I don't rely on Wikipedia as a reference, but this time there is a comprehensive, documented article about the Tea Party Patriots, the debate as to whether it is a grass roots uprising or a manipulated PR campaign, the coverage by various media pundits, and -most importantly in my mind-the group's goals.  See www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_Party_protests.

I can see myself joining in on protests about real estate taxes-a holdover from the Puritans living in New England in the 1600's-government spending, and the national debt that will be placed on the shoulders of my new grandbaby to be born next month.

Best of all, whatever we may think of this series of protests, the good thing is that people who have never joined a march of any kind for any goal are moving out of their comfort zone to voice their opinions.  I find that encouraging in a climate of too much apathy.

What do you think?  For it?  Against it?  If you've participated or know someone who has, please tell us about it.

Our Finances:The Fair Tax Grassroots Movement

I admit it.  I hadn't heard of an alternative tax plan since the days of Jack Kemp and his 'flat tax' proposal.  So when I read that Kathryn Nusbaum will speak at Penn State Behrend in Erie, PA, on Thursday, Nov. 12, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and that her topic is  "An Alternative to Stimulating the Economy," I was intrigued.

The Behrend School of Business Speaker Series gives a bio of Nusbaum, CPA, CFP, MBA  whose fee-only company, Managing Middle America, is based in Pittsburgh, PA,and includes a synopsis of her topic.  See the quote below.

           "The FairTax is a non-partisan, grassroots effort to replace our existing complex and convoluted   income tax code with a simple, fair and transparent national consumption tax. Kathryn Nusbaum, CPA, CFP® will walk you through the mechanics and benefits of the proposal. The mechanics include a national retail sales on new goods and services as well as a monthly rebate that will ensure that no American will pay taxes on basic necessities. The benefits include enormous tax compliance savings as well as setting the stage for a massive re-awakening American manufacturing – including jobs. Her discussion will include the impact from the perspective of poor, middle class as well as wealthy Americans. This will be an exciting discussion around the history of our convoluted income tax system and what we can do to dismantle the confusion while galvanizing the economy at the same time."
(www.erie.psu.edu/academic/business/speakers/index.html).

If the concept interests you, access http://www.fairtax.org/ or other sites listed on various search engines. Kathryn Nusbaum can also be reached at info@MiddleAmericaPlanning.com.

We're Back! Thank you, Todd Benedict.

Have you noticed a few days of no blog activity ?  The computer was running very slowly (I was irritated, but I tolerated that.), but on Sunday, our video call to our granddaughter was garbled, with the camera coming on and then shutting off.  Now, that's really too much.  No one should come between a grandma and her grandkids, right?

Good follower that I am, I contacted my server rep(little success).  I contacted my local phone line(new upgraded line installed-a good thing, but no help for the probems).

I was forced to admit that a much bigger 'something' was not right about my laptop and called a local certified tech magician otherwise known as Todd Benedict.  He has all of those great letters following his name, but techno dummy that I am, I have no idea what they mean-I only know they are impressive certificates to have

His analysis was translated into non-techno terms:  Something akin to having a 17-lane stream of unwanted, bumper-to-bumper trucks  was moving slowly through my computer system.  That I can picture, and I did not like it! 

He cleaned, deleted, and upgraded everything so that all runs perfectly now.  And is it fast! My laptop's motherboard is smiling as I enter this posting.  I'm only sorry I waited so long before going local for help.

If you are in our area and need to give your computer a jolt of reinvigorating action or a metaphorical kick in the rear,  contact him at EdgePCs@coaxpa.com.  He can also be reached at 814-734-5317.