That's one long month

I realized when I was about to post this that I haven't blogged in a month. Unfortunately, like many other things, this has become sort of a "low-priority" item these days. So what's more important? Being sick all day, mostly - paying homage to the "porcelain god" on a regular basis, although for an excellent cause.

I have just a few beefs to make - this early in the morning I can't possibly be anything but cranky, right? - and this will, alas, have to be the place to put them.

First, I have to say that the death penalty is wrong. I'm sorry if everybody reading this is now calling me a bleeding-heart liberal (and they'd be wrong), but I just can't believe that a bunch of imperfect humans, with an incomplete knowledge of the situation (including the motives, intents, and feelings of the accused), can make such a final decision. All I know is, I certainly don't want the responsibility. And I get as mad and upset as anyone else at these criminals, who end people's lives and destroy families and all the rest. It's just that I believe that the final judgement rests with God, not with Judge Anybody or Governor Whatsit. So, present a compelling argument if you can, and if you really believe it.

Then I have to beef a little bit about the inappropriate use of the apostrophe in today's English. Now, I am a bit of a nut about spelling, anyway, if not English grammar, but this is getting out of hand - I see BILLBOARDS over the highway with incorrect usage! Here's the rule: You do NOT need to use an apostrophe to make something plural. You can just write "chickens," not "chicken's." Unless something belongs to the chicken, when of course you use the apostrophe to make the word possessive: "the chicken's egg." Or unless you want to shorten the phrase with a contraction: instead of the "The chicken is sleeping" you could use the apostrophe to say, "The chicken's sleeping." My main problem is that everybody and their cousin uses the darn apostrophe to make words plural, and it's a waste of a perfectly good penstroke (or keystroke). Even my husband's sign company has produced signs with this problem. Maybe in my next career I'll be a copy editor.

My last complaint (thank goodness; who's still reading this?) is about people who have nothing better to do, and so make trouble for others. I have an uncle like this: he's always trying to get me involved in things I care nothing about, or he'll call me and complain about something over which I have no control, usually church-related. But it doesn't just happen to me. We have a girl in our neighborhood (probably early 20's in age) who raises hens at a family member's farm north of here, then sells the eggs in our neighborhood. They're cage-free, organic, all the rest. Most of the neighborhood, myself included, appreciate her weekly stops to ask if we'd like to buy eggs. But one cranky person, probably older than dirt, decided to call City Hall and complain about her, thus requiring her to buy a license to run a business in North Muskegon. Oh, come ON! At $2 a dozen I'd hardly call it a business. Honestly. For those of us busy with a million different things (kids, work, church, house, etc.) this is unbelieveable.

On a more positive note: I have an amazing family. My husband has taken to washing dishes and laundry for the duration, and my daughter pats my back while I ralph. My mom, sisters, and aunts have been baby-sitting machines, helping me finish my BYU class or just giving me a break. And at least some of the men in the family freely gave their time to help Dan with the roof last weekend. I'd better stop now, because my gratitude list could go on forever.

"Cash your dreams before they slip away."