In the Land of Lincoln (my home state of Illinois) we are beginning a series of Abraham Lincoln bicentennial celebrations to bring Lincoln’s legacy to the new generation.  I think there are planned celebrations in Washington DC and other Lincoln related cities.  

Having the Lincoln Home and his and his family’s tomb in Springfield, this area has thousands of tourists each year, as does the New Salem State Park in this area.  I grew up learning about the good things Lincoln did during his lifetime.  One of my ancestors rode as an honor guard during Lincoln’s funeral and procession.

http://www.lincolnbicentennial.gov/ 

The forest sounds outside our windows can be scary but at the same time soothing.  The crying of a baby raccoon sounds like a baby crying.  Mama raccoon in heat sounds like screaming.  Bobcats can growl but they also scream which sounds like a woman screaming.  Deer bleat to their fawns.  Coyotes yap at the moon and at themselves and just don’t shut up. Wild turkeys cluck and then have short staccato notes. 

Then I hear something like windows slamming even though the neighbors are quite a distance away.  I think they don’t like living in the forest even though the forest is like an orchestra.  To live there, you must like the music of the wild.

The former administration has come to an end.  Sometimes it would be better if former members take the hide and seek approach and do not put themselves in the limelight.   Putting oneself in the limelight does not negate Halliburton scandal or facts about placing contracts with a company oneself headed or any other wrongdoing which occurred on onself’s reign.  High ranking members of that former administration still could be prosecuted for things they did, including Cheney, Bush, etc.  Write your congressman and indicate your views.  Mr. Cheney, perhaps you should take a vacation….you may be hurting yourself and not gaining much of anything….saying nothing is sometimes better and keeps oneself out of trouble.

The most romantic was a trip to a campground 10 miles from our house.  The rental was $5.00 per night for a camp site so we stayed two nights. We were both worn out from working and the money situation was bad at our house, but we needed a break.

At the time, we had no money to buy any kind of camping equipment, but we had a broken down old tent and a couple of thick old blankets, an old iron skillet and a fishing pole.

We used our last $25.00 on this trip.  We bought a package of hot dogs, a package of chips, a dozen eggs and a bottle of Boones Farm Wine completed our vacation on a budget.  After the wine was gone, we toasted each other with water in our wedding wine glasses we took from home.  We fished during the day, cleaned our catch and cooked it over a wood fire.  Then under the stars we confessed our love and didn’t think forward to the next few days of homelife without a cent to our names.  Things got better after that.

Rachal Alexandra you go girl! Those fillies are magnificent girls.  Smart, cute and fast. 

 I’m beginning to think that Mr. Ed, the talking horse was a filly, just like Lassie was really a girl dog.  Of course, we women of wow, know how smart women are!  Rachel Alexandra just proved a lot of things.

My beloved Pontiac will become a thing of the past.  My company car was always a pontiac.  I loved driving it long distances and it handled so well in the snow due to the front wheel drive,  so I switched to Pontiacs for my personal car.  My last new car was a Bonneville….sporty, good on gas and easy to maintain.

My husband is a lover of the classics and at one time we had 4 Classic Pontiac GTO cars… 2 were 1967 and the other two were 1966.  But a wonderful buyer came along and wanted all 4 cars so we sold.  Big Mistake even though we realized a huge profit.   Of course our first love from the classic car selection is the Oldsmobile 442, and we intend to keep our 1970 until death due us part.  The Oldsmobile line was terminated long ago, but it wasn’t as popular as Pontiac.

I am heartbroken that a new Pontiac will not be in my future.  The Buick line was kept as the older generation buy these for road traveling.  Comfort, 4 doors for getting out, and I think Buick status might be the word for these people.  But the baby boomers, age 50 and 60 don’t necessarily want Buicks to travel to Florida and Arizona or wherever.  Most will probably still be working and not able to travel.  If General Motors stays in business, I think they will regret this Pontiac decision in just a few years as the Buick buyers become fewer and fewer.  And Cadillac might go then too!

May Pontiac rest in peace.  The end of a legend.  The end of a good car.

The posts so far resemble when you put two fighting pit bulls in a pen and say let the best one win. No one is going to win a battle of the words.  It isn’t possible.  It goes on and on with no ending, but it does leave a bad taste and ill feeling among the posters of both sides of the issues.  Conversations seem to no longer be possible on any controversial issue and almost to the point of any issue. 

Mr. Cheney is no longer in office.  If he did something wrong while in office, and the government wishes to prosecute, then so be it.  If a jury of his peers deems him guilty, he will pay for it with prison time.  No one is above the reach of justice.  The question would be, "will the government reach out and tap him on the shoulder".  Your responses on this site sure aren’t going to make it happen.  I’ve said it many times…write your legislator and let them know your feelings.   

Mr. Cheney’s daughter has the right to stand up for her father.  It is expected.  Whether her dad has done right, done wrong or sits on the fence and makes a trillion dollars, if he did it illegally, then let the prosecution games begin.  If the government doesn’t have enough to prosecute, then why prosecute the man with words on some blogging site? 

There are probably many who don’t like the way I think and post, that’s ok too.  I like to remain on the side of the fence without the pit bulls.