No more are loose at the moment. The tooth fairy left 2 Euro coins for each tooth. Katrina was happy, thank goodness, because apparently other families' tooth fairies have been a bit more generous, and the kids have been talking at school. "N. got lots of dollas and a new nightgown, Mama!" Um, that's nice, honey, but I think you and N. may have different tooth fairies.
I just finished reading a Stephen Donaldson book called The Runes of the Earth. One thread running through the book is that ordinary people, faithful in service, can change the world. Which is pretty interesting for a fantasy novel with a plot centered around finding a particular object of power.
Ordinary people, without magic powers, with no particular talent, just being faithful.
How much do you know about the ordinary person sitting next to you in church, or living in your neighborhood, or working In the Cubicle Next Door?
I vote Republican. Rather, I have always voted Republican.
I liked a number of the Republican candidates. Unfortunately, none of them actually succeeded.
A strong reason for my voting Republican is my unshakeable belief that abortion is wrong, that it is taking a life, that it hurts not only the unborn but their mothers and fathers and society at large.
But...
Republicans have been in power for a while now. Other than Bush's stand against federal funding for stem-cell research, Republicans have done little that I can see on a national level to reduce abortion. (State levels might be something else, but having been away from the U.S. for a while, I'm not up to speed on that.)
I have felt for some time that reducing/eliminating abortion will not be achieved through politics and laws. Only through a cultural change, changes of heart, compassion for women in trouble, and concrete help for women in crisis pregnancies and their families. The pro-life movement needs to stop fighting the government and put more energy into helping women. They already do, actually...I volunteered at a crisis pregnancy center in Virginia. They did really good work on a shoestring budget...they stayed with their clients (no matter what their religion) throughout their pregnancies and births, and did their best to supply them with what they needed for their babies. That's what should be at the core of pro-life movement.
I think Republicans in power have ignored the poor. Democrats may not have the right solutions for helping the poor, but at least they talk about it.
I think John McCain is a blowhard. I thought that before this election, every time I've ever heard him talk on TV, for years.
Hillary Clinton's voice makes my teeth hurt. And oh, so many other things about her.
Barack Obama is one of the most pro-choice candidates. And he doesn't have the substance of any of the other candidates still in the running. But damn, the man is inspiring. He seems honest and sincere. (One can be sincerely wrong, of course.) He's refreshing.
SO. What does a good little Republican do? I'm not sure.
It will be interesting to see if the Democrats shoot themselves in the foot again like they did when they nominated no-personality Kerry. The Republican party is fractured right now. I think the only thing that would get out the Republican vote (assuming McCain wins the nomination) is...Hillary.
I'm a stay-at-home mom, a writer, a Christian of the Lutheran type, a voracious reader, a person with gluten intolerance. Recently moved back to the States after six years living in Germany. Perpetually adjusting to all of the above.
