The Europeans

This summit in Washington is bringing up some interesting proposals. The Europeans, especially the French, are suggesting that our capitalist system needs more regulation to avoid huge corporate salaries, bonuses and other abuses. America has always scorned the highly regulated European system but, let's face it, the reason they were so severely affected by our financial crisis,is that we have intertwined our system with the entire world's. Because of this the American system and it's abuses has affected the entire world.

I have always said that capitalism is greed driven and when you consider all the abuses that have been apparent in it for decades, you can see the need for regulation. If corporate America were not so greedy, a free market would work. But it's greed has driven the rich to be even richer and the poor to be even poorer and the middle class to rapidly disappear.

My Letter to the Editor and Congressmen

My husband has recently been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. This is a man with no history of diabetes in his family and who weighs 153 pounds at 5 foot 10 1/2 inches tall so his disease is not associated with obesity.

I have read several scientific articles implicating high fructose corn syrup in this epidemic. It seems it is made from cornstarch that's been processed with enzymes and studies have linked it with higher levels of compounds that trigger tissue damage. The pancreas cannot process it to produce insulin and so the sugar pours into the bloodstream and then into the organs of the body putting a terrific strain on all of them.

Why is it so difficult to get our FDA and our congress to see this problem? Are they being financed by the huge farm lobby? Neither Canada or Mexico uses high fructose corn syrup in their foods or soft drinks.

Have you ever tried to buy anything that doesn't contain it? Almost everything lists it as one of the first ingredients and therefore a main ingredient .

I would like to see hearings held on this subject and something done about getting this dangerous ingredient out of the food chain. In case you haven't noticed, diabetes is epidemic in the US and anywhere in the world where high fructose corn syrup is used in the place of sugar.

Sincerely alarmed,

(my full name and address and telephone number)

House Cleaning Day

Generally I clean on Monday but Monday was a busy day so I was going to clean on Tuesday. Well, Scott came back Sunday afternoon so we were very busy. I believe that was the day we went to Bartlesville. Then yesterday was a rat race. So that meant we would clean today. The house looks good. While I was cleaning I put a pot of beans on and we had cornbread and beans for lunch. I don't know how Bob's sugar will hold up after that.

This afternoon I have an appointment with Tina at the radio station at 3:00 and then my job interview is at 4:00 at the library. I'm as ready as I'm ever going to be...that's for sure. They probably have a lot of interviews.

I spent an hour on this computer e-mailing church headquarters to get newly baptized Jon registered as a member of the church. Hopefully, that won't take forever. But think how much more work that would have been if we didn't have computers. Aren't they grand? When they work properly, that is. I wrestle with mine from time to time.

Here's a photo of Jon at his confirmation service.

Busy Wednesday

Well, we did everything we meant to do today. We went to Independence early though because fog was forecast. The fog didn't materialize however. Anyhow, Carol got me in early so we went to breakfast early too. Then we went to pick up the water for the church and Bob's pants at the cleaners and then went to Wal Mart to do some shopping for food that diabetics can eat. That's a bummer!

Later we looked around at HDTV's. I'm not ready to invest in one though. I think the prices need to come down further before we get one.

At last we went to Ministerial Association at Mercy Hospital. There was a good turnout...about 13, I think.

Later we came on home and I worked on the bulletin for November 23rd.

Tomorrow morning, I will clean house and later in the afternoon at 3:00 I have an appointment with the radio station and then at 4:00 I will have my job interview.

Next week, one day, I will need to go to the radio station in Independence and cut some new spots for Windsor Place. This will be the first time I have done their announcements there. I usually only do the ones for the Coffeyville Windsor Place.

Great Baptism!

We had a baptism this Sunday and the boy was also confirmed a member of the church. It went off well. The two elders who had seen to his pre-baptismal classes and were in charge of seeing to his spiritual well being at Hutchinson came down to do the baptism and confirmation. They did a nice job. Our Celebration/Worship Committee planned the service and they really out did themselves.

We had a basket dinner afterward. There were about 45 people there. The celebration committee decorated the church with kites and boy things like footballs, basketballs, boy toys, wagons, you name it. It was neat. Emma Stoner and her brother Ryan sang. They do a lovely job. Emma will be baptized in January.

Jon, the boy who was baptized is such a nice little boy. He is one of four and they are all nice kids.

Busy Wednesday Tomorrow

Tomorrow I go to get my hair done in Independence. Afterward Bob and I will go eat breakfast at Eggbert's. After that, we will go pick up Bob's jeans. I had them shortened.

We also need to pick up water for the church. We use bottled water there to drink. I need to stop and get my mascara in Independence too.

Then at 11:30, we will go to Independence Ministerial Association. When we get home we will stay at home. It will probably rain.

Scott, our son, left this morning. He has to report in on Thursday. We had a good time while he was here. This afternoon I worked all afternoon on my daughter's scrapbook and got it caught up. I hope to get my own caught up tomorrow afternoon.

Job Interview

The library called last evening and set up a job interview for me for Thursday at 4:00. I am really interested in this job as a library aide but with the economy the way it is, I probably have little chance of getting it. But I am going to give it my best shot anyhow.

Sunday afternoon our son from Ft. Leonard Wood came back to spend the rest of his leave with us. It rained yesterday so we drove down to Bartlesville where they have a small mall and looked around. Bob bought a new shirt and we all had lunch at Garfield's.

When we got home we rented a movie and watched it all afternoon. It was a good one called "Invincible". It was a true story about a football player who won a place on the Philadelphia team with an open draft from the public. It happened back in the 70's.

Then last night we watched The American Experience on PBS about the great depression. We all went to bed about 10:00 and had a good night's sleep.

I got up at 6:00 this morning and let the cat back in and let the dog out to do his thing. In cold damp weather like this week, we keep him in the garage at night near the hot water tank. He's such a sweetheart. I fixed his cinnamon toast after I got my coffee and went out on the patio to feed it to him a bite at a time.

It's raining again this morning so his walk will have to wait until it stops.