Barbie

Wow, it has been so long since my last post on here. In this post in particular, I wanted to talk about Barbie. 

If you know me, you know I LOVE Barbie. I have been a collector of her since I was a child. I got my first collectors edition doll for Christmas in 1989. I was 11 years old. Mom told me this was a special doll to look at, not play with. So it became a tradition for Christmas each year to receive the holiday Barbie for that year. I collected them from 1989 to 2000 or 2001. 

Then, in 2024, Hollywood made a live action Barbie movie. I was really excited about it, but was also a little apprehensive about it. I was afraid it would be super woke and just boring. After a while, it appeared on HBO, so I decided to bite the bullet and watch it. I had heard things here and there about it, that it wasn't too bad. So I turned it on and watched. 

I think it was overall a pretty good movie. A little silly at some points, but very well made. The message of the movie was so close to being perfect. In my opinion, I think the ending would have been better had Barbie and Ken been able to be equal, rather than having Barbie do everything and Ken just existing. Understanding that we can't do it all at once and we need each other for our individual strengths and weaknesses. And also recognizing that even in a place like Barbieland, things aren't perfect. And that's ok. 

I don't think that Barbie was meant to make girls feel bad about their body. She wasn't meant to give girls unrealistic expectations of themselves or others. I don't know a single person who looks exactly like Barbie. Not even the girls who played the different Barbies in the movie look like Barbie. But I do know that Barbie was always meant to empower girls and women, and to remind them that they can be anything they want to be. You can literally be trained to do any job. And with only a very few exceptions, you don't even have to go to college or earn a degree to qualify. It's a beautiful thing, and we have Ruth to thank for it. 

Barbie was such a revolutionary figure from the very start. I believe that Barbie truly does empower girls the world over. 

On a side note, when I was on my mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I had a companion from Russia. There were 3 of us together at this time. One day, the subject of Barbie came up, and Sister Tanigina mentioned that she never had a Barbie when she was young. She said that in her part of Russia, things like that were very rare when she was young enough to play with them. So we decided to buy her one for her birthday. She was so excited to have a Barbie doll of her own. 

Harry Potter is a conservative story

So I've been working on this project for a while now. I thought I would share it here in hopes that I could get ideas on how to finish it. Basically, it's a giant outline with info plugged in here and there. I would love some feedback on this, so go ahead. Am I totally right or am I totally bonkers?

What is constitutional conservatism?

Constitutional conservatism is the conservation of our rights as outlined in the Constitution. It is taking personal responsibility for our own actions. It is believing we can use our own money in a responsible manner better than the government can. It is the belief that an individual should have more liberty than the collective. It is the belief that government is here strictly to maintain the individual liberty of each of its people and to provide through modest taxation the defense of the people and homeland.

I am American and come at this from an American perspective. I recognize that Jo and her books are written from a perspective of which I have no true understanding. Given that she lived in the UK her whole life, and I have lived here all my life, I recognize I don’t understand her life there any more than she understands my life here. Many things in the Potter books are the result of Jo as a citizen of the UK. So take this with a grain of salt. I am simply pointing out what I see as a reflection of my own values in these books.

What does this have to do with Harry Potter? 

1. Using your own means to help others.

a). Harry would happily share the contents of his vault with the Weasley family. Our money, either earned by the sweat of our own brow or that given thru inheritance, we know what to do with that money. We are obligated to give to others of ourselves. Harry does this in so many ways throughout the entire series.

b). Harry dumps his entire bag of money into the fountain in the ministry for St Mungos. Again, he wasn't obligated to donate. It wasn't taken through force. It was his own choice to give. At that point, he didn't know Nevels parents were there. He hadn't been there and seen what goes on there. He just gave just because he had been blessed.

c) Hermione helps the boys with their homework. She doesn't have to, but she is blessed through her intelligence. So she helps them.

d) Hermione and House Elf liberation. She looks at Dobby and how happy he is to be free and be his own man. 

e) Dobby is so happy to be his own man, and work for who he wants to work for. Harry reminded him that he can be free and live how he wants. No one owns him and his labor except himself. 

f) The Weasley’s take Harry and Hermione both during the summer holiday when they don't have to.

g) The Malfoy’s are very elitist and believe people can be bought.

2. Government should look out for individual freedom

1. People in the beginning of book 1 who are celebrating the downfall of Lord Voldemort

2. Children of muggle parentage vrs children of wizarding parentage

3. Educational decrees and Inquisitorial squad

4. Government putting out info on home safety and protectimg muggles in their neighborhood.

3. When people are given the truth, they make good choices and keep themselves and others free

1. Wizengamot and Harry’s trial- Harry was able speak the truth of what happened the night he used a patronus charm.

2. Quibbler and Daily Prophet - the Quibbler became the paper of truth for a while after Harry's interview was printed.

3. Harry’s fan mail from Quibbler article - most people who wrote him believed him, even some reluctantly.

Depression

I feel like I should share this in case anyone needs to hear it. Maybe I just need to write it.

So about 2 weeks ago, I was sitting in a room at a place where they do clinical trials for all kinds of things. I was told I qualify for a study for an additional drug to inhance the medication for depression. I've been feeling like the medication I'd been taking isn't quite doing enough. I still feel depressed all the time. So I looked into it, and desided to look at the clinical trial. Anyway, while I was there for the appointment, there was a young man who is studying to be a doctor and wanted to talk to depression patients about their symptoms and what they go through. So I talked to him about my situation. While speaking with him, I made a discovery. I discovered that I've been depressed longer than I realized, but my early symptoms were not as noticable to anyone. Actually, my mother did notice. 

Upon arriving home from my mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints, I couldn't find a job. I felt like maybe I had made a mistake in leaving for 18 months. I didn't ever tell anyone I felt that way. I wanted so badly to get my life started. In the beginning, I was so full of hope in my future. But as the weeks dragged on, I became less and less hopeful. That is the time the depression began. I realized my childhood was over and I needed to get busy living life, but I ran into problems over and over. Once I found work, things improved, but I still wondered if I made incorrect decisions. My mom mentioned to me that I was different than I used to be before my mission. But then I was working and going back to school. I met my husband and we got married. I was so happy. I had jobs and I also bought my first car. A year and a half after our wedding, we moved to Washington state. 

In Washington, I found work right away. It was a really great job. I missed my family. I felt empty and had a lot of feelings I didn't know how to cope. My new ward was difficult. There wasn't anyone near my age. There were other newly wed couples, but they were really young and weren't into things we were. Plus they were starting to have babies and were super cliquey. So I was almost alone for the first time with no friends and no family near by. I had my husband, but I needed more than him. So I cut. Looking back, I can see several other things I could have done. 

So after my husband saw the cuts, we talked, and I decided I needed to go talk to someone. After about 6 months of therapy, I felt better. I had some new tools in my arsenal. Then my mother was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. That was really difficult, especially sense we were so far apart. I found another job with more pay and closer to home. I was mostly happy again. I had stopped going to church (that made me sad). My relationship with my husband was better than ever. But then the down turn in the economy of 2008 happened. I lost my job. I couldn't find any job. I went on many interviews, but no job offers. 

We decided it was time to move to Bremerton and buy a house. So we did. I continued to look for work. I found a few jobs, but I didn't love any of them. My new ward in Bremerton was wonderful. It felt like coming home. I returned to full activity. I was getting more and more depressed because I couldn't find good consistent work and life was really weighing on me. I started seeing a new therapist. She really got me and I felt much more comfortable talking about anything with her. She really helped me. I started to reconnect with my father. Then in 2013, I got really bad news. My mother decided she'd had enough and was ready to die. I was devastated. Thankfully, that very day I found out, I had an appointment with my therapist. We went back to Salt Lake and said good bye. Her funnaral was beautiful. I took all my stuff back home that we had left there. Along with her sewing machines. When I got home, I continued to have increased symptoms of depression, so I talked to my doctor and increased my dose. Time passed and then in 2016, my dad had a heart attack and died. I didn't find out for more than a month. I was just starting to reconnect. I was looking forward to going back and possibly seeing him. Then he was gone and the moment passed. 

Now currently, with all the madness in the world, I feel hightened symptoms. I am starting the suplimental medication in the next few days. I'm excited for that. Hopefully it will help. Hopefully I won't be on the plesebo, and I can get real help medically. I see little glimpses of my old self, when I was truly happy. For the first time in years, I have a little hope in the future. I think maybe things might get better soon. 

Update..at last :)

So I realized with horror that I haven't updated my blog in well over a year! Yikes! Anyway, here is an update.

First, last summer, I learned to fish. My wonderful husband taught me. We went fishing for yellow perch, which is quite a tasty fish. They are small, and it takes several to make a meal, but they are delicious  I learned how to tie several different knots to aid in preparing hooks and other stuff. We bought a little zodiac inflatable boat with a little motor so we can cruise around and make fishing easier. So we used it on fresh water lakes as well as in the Puget Sound. On its maiden voyage, we took it from Illahee State Park in Bremerton over to Bainbridge Island. It was a mostly sunny day, and the water was nice and smooth. Amazingly enough, the water wasn't even all that cold. Quite surprising. Anyway, we have since gone crabbing, squidding, and fishing many times.


The second big thing would have to be that I learned to drive a stick shift. My automatic car became unsafe to drive as the signal lights and brake lights were constantly going out. Luckily, we had a stick truck that we were using for recreation mostly, so it became mine. My husband took me to the nearby college where they have a nice long, mostly empty parking lot. And I practiced and practiced. After about 2 or 3 days of this, we left the parking lot, and I drove to our neighborhood and practiced on hills and stuff. The next day, I just drove around the neighborhood more, did more hill and light practicing. Then Sunday came.. the day I was going to drive alone for the first time. I was a little bit scared, but really glad that there isn't much traffic around on Sundays. I called my mom and told her I was driving alone for the first time, and I just needed someone who could talk me thru it if I had any problems. Luckily, I made it all the way across town to church with no problems whatsoever. I felt extremely proud of myself.


So now to my final update.. probably the one I am most excited about. Well, I love listening to podcasts. Especially ones about my favorite subject.. Harry Potter. So one day, I was on the Facebook page of one of my favorites, The Potter Pensieve Podcast, and I seen a post by a fellow listener about how she was starting a new podcast and would anyone like to be on the first episode. So I messaged her and said I would love to give it a try.. I always thought it would be really fun to podcast. So she told me to download skype and audacity and she added me to her contacts on skype, and then to prepare to talk about chapter 3 of Sorcerer's Stone. The day finally came when we were going to record. My mic totally sucked and the other ladies could barely hear me. I thought for sure I wouldn't be asked back. But Rosie said she thought I was great and if I wanted I could be a regular host. I was so happy! So I got a new mic and prepared my next chapter for the next episode. We have now recorded 5 episodes. It's called Aboard the Knight Bus if you are interested. It is so fun, and we just talk and laugh and have a really great time. It can be downloaded on iTunes. Oh yeah, there are 4 of us, and together we represent all 4 Hogwarts houses: Rosie is Hufflepuff, Anna is Slytherin, Ari is Ravenclaw, and I am Gryffindor.

So that is my basic update for the last year or so. Have a great day!

House Tour

Ok, Marsha asked for a video tour of my new house. So here it is in all it's stunning glory! I had to do it in 5 segments. There is audio as well, so be sure to have speakers or headphones on. So enjoy!




Video 1



Video 2



Video 3



Video 4




Video 5

Tea Party

Today, I went to my first tea party. I have officially joined the ranks of the tea baggers. Basically, if you don't know what the tea party movement is about, it's basically from the original Boston Tea Party, where colonists threw tea into the Boston harbor because they were tired of taxes, and not feeling represented in parlement. King George had his wake up call in 1776 when the colonists defeated the British army. So tea stands for Taxed Enough Already. I joined the movement, because I don't feel that the congress and senators, or the president for that matter, are listening to the voice of the people. It's supposed to be We the People, not We the Government. We elected them to represent us, and to think of the people when they legislate. But they only seem to be listening to themselves and special interest groups. It's just not right, and it's time to take the country back from these special interest groups who do not represent the majority of Americans. Here are a few pics of the event.


A pic of the crowd. I saw this great sign. It's a spin off the liberal sign "Bush Lied, People Died" This one is MUCH better.



The man down in front of the crowd is wearing a colonist hat. Pretty cool.




This is a pic of the crowd around me. I wish I could have gotten a picture of the crowd from the lawn below, but the crowd was too thick below.

This was a great experience for me. I encourage everyone within the sound of my electronic voice to go to a tea party, which ever side of the isle you are on, and just listen to the tea party message, because it is a good one. We have ideas, but no one in DC will listen.

9 - 11

Well, yesterday was the anniversary of 9-11. First of all, on Thursday, I was visiting Jim at Costco during his lunch time. He forgot to take it with him to work, so I went up and took it to him. Anyway, so a football game was just starting in the lunch room, and they were having a bit of a tribute to the fallen on 9-11 during the national anthem. And one of the guys asks why there are people in the crowd and players crying. So one of the other guys says, well some of those in the crowd were families of the victims and firefighters who died on 9-11. You remember that, right? When the planes hit the towers? And the first guys like, oh yeah, is the anniversary soon or something?

I was disgusted that so many people seem to have forgotten. The mainstream media barely mentions it, as if it's something to be ashamed of. As if we brought those attacks on ourselves. They don't seem to understand that the world as we know it, changed that day. There are evil people out in the world who want to hurt us, because they are threatened by our liberty, and our way of life. It's not that they are poor, its' because they are so filled with hate. I wish those in power could understand that they just hate us, and get rid of them. Stop trying to negotiate and "find common ground". Well, maybe they should find common ground, and then bury them in it!

So yesterday, I watched a few hours of shows on Fox News and History channels. One was a show about the survivers in the Marriot Hotel on the trade center plaza. One man said after getting home that night, he found that his sister and neice were on one of the planes that hit the towers. Then there was another man, trapped in his room after the first tower fell, that the firefighters found, and they led him out safely. The man's daughter got married about a year later, and he invited the firefighter to come, and then thanked him again publicly for saving his life that day. Another thing that touched me yesterday, was the audio from a 911 call from a woman on the 83rd floor. She talked about how there was so much smoke, and it was so hot, they could barely breathe. And then she starts to cry, and says, I'm going to die, aren't I. It made me so sad. This woman was asking for help, but there was no way for rescuers to get to her and those with her, because they were above the impact zone. But of course, even if the 911 operator knew that, she wouldn't tell the woman that. But I'm sure the 911 operator stayed on the phone with that woman until the end. I'm sure there were many 911 operators who stayed on the phone with people until the end. That would be so difficult, not being able to help those on the other end of the line, but only being able to talk, and be there for them. Needless to say, as I watched those shows, I cried alot.

The last thing I want to talk about, is flight 93. Wow, what brave men and women. They were the ones who stormed the cockpit, and went down in the field in Pennsylvania. That was also the plane thought to be heading for the capital building in DC. Hearing the audio from the phone calls made to loved ones were really hard to hear. But they realized they had one last chance to say goodbye to family, because they knew they were going to die. I would hope that when its' my time to go, that I tell my family how much I love them, and make sure I leave in good standing with family.