Newest painting

I painted this yesterday before I started feeling sick. I thought about putting it in the bathroom, but I am thinking I am going to go a different direction with the bathroom than I was yesterday.

Anyway, this is it.

J~

More gay marriage stuff

I got another e-mail late last night from a friend in California telling why I should vote against the gay marriage initiative again. (I voted against it the first time, but have moved since the Supreme Court ruled against the voter's rights.)

Please realize that while there are numerous reasons cited in the e-mail, they didn't cover the main reason I voted against it. I had a friend specifically ask me if I felt threatened by the gay marriage initiative, and I told her right out - no, I don't feel threatened, nor do I feel it threatens my marriage.

Why I did vote against the gay marriage initiative is because I think it gives people justification for making a choice that I believe is wrong. I believe that who you fall in love with is a choice, not a magical mystical thing that happens. You choose, regardless of DNA. And like any choice, it comes with consequences. The Gay Marriage initiative removes the consequences for having made that choice. That is what I have a problem with - the seeming removal of consequence. To me, if you make the choice to be "partnered" with someone of the same sex, you should know the "consequence" of your actions is that your future choices are going to be limited.

I personally think that part of the problem is the entitlement factor. We seem to think that we are entitled to the same as everybody else, when that is neither what the Constitution says nor is it what it implies. It says life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That anyone is given health insurance through work is a benefit, not a right. That one's loved ones are added on to that insurance is a benefit, not a right. If you want insurance for your spouse, then either pay for it or find a job with that benefit. If you want insurance for your dog, then either pay for it or find a job with that benefit. If you want insurance for your prized gold fish, then either pay for it or find a job with that benefit. If you can't find a job that has that benefit, then your choices are limited. That isn't unconstitutional, that is life. When I wanted life insurance, I bought it independent of Randy's work. He has an "independent" policy as well. Health insurance is more expensive independent of work FOR A REASON - because one's work helps pay for it as a benefit of working there. IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE LOWER BENEFITS, THEN DON'T WORK THERE ANY MORE! Insurance companies already cover "domestic partners", and even "life partners". If yours doesn't, then perhaps you should realize that insurance ISN'T A RIGHT, IT IS A BENEFIT!!!!

Enough rant. I am far from perfect, and I make choices I am not proud of, for sure. But when I repent of the choices I make that are mistakes, I "make it right" by fixing it as much as I can instead of "making it right" by changing the rules.

New pictures

Here is a picture of my bedroom, and a painting I did this evening. I am loving my bedroom, and I am not sure what I am going to do with the painting, but I have to let it dry before I do anything with it, so that will be a little bit.

A new week

So I am up getting ready to take Randy to the airport, and thought I would quickly blog. Rachel's seminary has 2 classes available, one earlier and one later - well, the later class had 4 in it, and the earlier had 23 in it, so they requested that some come to the later class. Anyway, she didn't want to do it, "because the bus leaves earlier than the class lets out". But then they rescheduled the class so she could still catch the bus, and she still initially didn't want to go to the later class, until I told her that both the boys she had been carpooling with will be attending the later class. Then she was okay with it - read into that whatever you want. I think either she doesn't want to put anybody out as far as the carpool goes, or she likes one (or heck, both!) of the boys.

Hope everyone has a great week!

Jill

Callings

So one of the benefits/drawbacks of being in a small-ish ward is that you get more than one opportunity to serve. I am currently teaching Rachel's Sunday School class, and am about to be sustained as the ward Choir director. Randy plays the piano for the Primary, and I will likely have him play for many of the choir numbers. As there aren't many singers in the ward, we are mostly in charge of doing musical numbers, and I will get to "rove" between auxiliaries leading them in their various musical numbers. It should be interesting.

Painted my ceiling

This past week I painted the bathroom ceiling. No pix yet, sorry. I will get to it, possibly this week. I decided to give it a misty summer day look, by painting streaky pale blue with a random swish pattern. I think it turned out nice. I suspect I will go a bit more conservative with the walls, and do a somewhat neutral - possibly a pale burnt orange (not peachy, more beige but not the white beige normally on walls) or a bit darker brown, like a camel.

Future Blogs

As anyone who wants to see what I have to say has this blog address, I will address any comments I have from here instead of on the "family blog". I don't want to stir up controversy or add to tension or strife based on the pointed remarks of others. I plan to look to the family blog for news & pictures, but will not be engaging in further arguments and/or defense of attacks on beliefs. Anyone willing to make comments is welcome to do so, however I will not be defending my thoughts or actions. I do, say, and write what I feel is right. You are welcome to disagree. But belittling and attacking what I feel is right doesn't make you right, and me defending it makes me wrong, so I won't be doing that any more.

Pretty much I will be addressing "simple news" - any thing I feel you might be interested that I would report. So if it seems that I am no longer thinking, trust me - I am. I just am not putting my thoughts on display, because I won't have them attacked in the forum.