Suited to a Tea


Welcome to my tea. Please, have a seat; let me pour you some Lady Grey; one lump or two; cream? ....


Friday, April 20, 2012

"...As the Stars For Ever and Ever."

1 "And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time; and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to the everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever." Daniel 12:1-3

May I shine today...

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Support Personhood Act SB 1433



Life is precious.  And as a result of Roe v. Wade passed in 1973, the year my mother graduated highschool, over 50 million innocent babies have been murdered!!

We need to support this Act.  Here is a copy of the letter I sent to House Members today.  Please do your part and support this.  Liberals advocate education except when it doesn't fit their agenda.  Christians need to get informed and have their voices heard.  We've been silent for far too long.  Our children will reap the affects of this if we don't do something.  Today my Church is attending a rally in support of this.  I can't go because I have four little ones in my care...I can, however, email my Congresspeople.  I've already received feedback.

To: houseprolife@okforlife.org
Subject: Support Personhood Act

4/18/2012


Dear House Members:

Please support the Personhood Act, SB 1433. I am an Oklahoman and wish to have my support heard for this bill.  It is important for us to realize that this Act is a step in the right direction to further support and protect the lives that are so dearly precious in the womb. Those who have no voice, let us be the voice for them.  If the science community discovered life on Mars, whether it be just a single cell, they would deem this a precious discovery.  Let's take this same idea and apply it to those precious babies still in the womb. Please be sure to oppose any amendments to this bill. 

Vote Yes! to SB 1433

--
Thank You,

Rachel Ruiz
Oklahoma Voter
(address and phone)

A History of Abortions

On January 22, 1973, the United States Supreme Court, in a 7-2 decision, handed down two rulings legalizing abortion in America. Prior to these rulings abortion was prohibited in most of the 50 states. In the states where abortion was permitted, such as New York and California, various restrictions had been placed on the reasons for abortion. These restrictions were removed by the 1973 rulings.
The Court based its decisions on the "right to privacy," which it claimed was guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, but which it could not specifically find anywhere. The Court concluded that it was implied in either the Fourteenth Amendment or the "penumbra" of the Bill of Rights.

Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton

The principal decision, Roe v. Wade, repealed all state laws prohibiting abortion. The companion case, Doe v. Bolton, extended the right to abortion to the entire nine months of pregnancy. The Court divided the term of pregnancy into trimesters (not a medical term prior to that time), and ruled that there could be no restrictions on abortions performed during the first trimester, or first three months of pregnancy.
During the second trimester (months 4-6), the court allowed states to pass certain regulations regarding abortion, but only to insure a woman's safety. There could be no restrictions on a woman's right to choose abortion.
During the third trimester (the last 3 months of pregnancy), the court conceded that a state could impose restrictions on abortion if the state found it in its interest to protect the child; however, the woman could still have access to an abortion for health reasons. Health, as defined by the World Health Organization, is "any condition that might impact her physical, emotional, psychological or financial well being". The court adopted this definition, effectively extending abortion on demand for the full nine months of pregnancy.

A Wrong Decision

Justice William Rehnquist and Justice Byron White wrote dissenting opinions in these cases, arguing that the Court had overextended its reach and exercised what Justice White called "raw judicial power." In 1983, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor said that Roe v. Wade was "on a collision course with itself." Many legal scholars from across the political spectrum have likewise criticized the Roe and Doe decisions, including notable abortion supporters Lawrence Tribe, Michael Kinsey and Alan Dershowitz.
As advances in medical technology continue to make the personhood of the fetus increasingly obvious, a woman's "right to privacy" is being more forcibly challenged by the unborn child's right to life.

Roe and Doe Are Now Pro-Lifers

Neither of the two women whose cases were originally brought to the Supreme Court had abortions. Norma McCorvey (Roe) had claimed she was gang raped in order to gain sympathy for her attempt to have an abortion in Texas. Her lawyer, Sarah Weddington, knew the rape story was a lie when she argued the case before the Supreme Court, but she chose to keep that information from the court and the public. The truth did not surface until 1988, when Norma McCorvey herself confessed to the lie. In 1995, McCorvey joined the pro-life movement.
Sandra Cano (Doe) had appealed to a lawyer for help in reclaiming her children, who had been taken from her at a time that she was unable to provide for them. Attorney Margie Pitts Hames siezed the opportunity to use the unwitting Cano, who was pregnant at the time, in the effort to legalize abortion in Georgia, even though Cano had never wanted an abortion.
The lawyers did not come through on their promise to help Cano, and when the Supreme Court decision came down, both the lawyers and Cano's family tried to force her to have a late term abortion. She had to leave the state to avoid the abortion they scheduled for her. Cano tried to publicize her opposition to abortion shortly after the 1973 decision, but the media paid no attention to her.
Both McCorvey and Cano testified to their opposition to abortion at a Pro-Life Action League conference in Chicago on April 20, 1996.

What is the total number of legal abortions since 1973?

Since the legalization of abortion in 1973, there have been approximately 50 million abortions performed in the United States.
Source: Guttmacher Institute, 2011, August. Facts on Induced Abortion in the United States. [PDF]

Source: http://prolifeaction.org/faq/abortion.php

Monday, April 16, 2012

Rose Path...A Stroll Down Memory Lane.

As a little girl I remember when my mother and my Great grandma Granato would take time during the summer and go "fleatiquing",used, yes, as a verb and is a combination of the words flea market (garage sales for you Southerners) and antiquing, and means a time where you travel around the pretty countryside of Western PA to look for antiques. 

Great grandma would spend about two weeks with us.  This was a time of real excitement for Sarah and I because this meant we could sleep on the cot, the cot was fun because it meant that we could sleep outside on the screened in porch if it was nice, so Great grandma could have either Sarah's bed or mine.  Grandma would fry up zucchini and slice garden fresh tomatoes and boil corn on the cob bought from the local vendor on the side of the road...it was so nice!!  I remember during dinner she would pour salt in the palm of her hand and would use that to season her food all the while sipping on her hot coffee...I always thought that that was really weird to drink coffee and eat... but it's funny, sometimes I find myself drinking coffee during meals as well.  Anytime is a good time to drink coffee...Thank you Great grandma for giving me your love of coffee! If you could have known her, she'd tell you all the time that she use to cuss like a Sailor and was real mean before she got saved...interestingly my dad was the one that lead her to the Lord...anyway, this time in our summer was always fun....


In this picture from the top left, my Great Grandpa Albert, Great Aunt Alma Jean, Great Grandma Alma Granato, and my very dashing young father...Daniel Paul

Because of this family history I also like to go fleatiquing...it's normally not garage sales...it's usually the local antique shops (which by the way around the OKC area are priced way too high, in PA I guess antiques are a little less of a rare thing than here in the land of red dirt) and thrift stores in the city.  OKC has the most thrift stores per capita I have ever seen.  And every so often whilst I'm on the hunt I find some real treasures.  Like this weekend  I found an 8 place Knowles 'Rose Path' chine set,  my dad would call the pattern "buhchie" pronounced buhh-chee... because of its rose pattern.  The set has all but one tea/coffee cup...some of the plates could be replaced but still the whole thing went for 13 bucks.  I went online to price certain pieces and found that a casserole goes for about $50.00. 

Sugar and Cream dishes

Rose Pattern on Center of Soup Bowl

Soup Bowl, Dinner, Salad/Roll, Dessert Plates, Fruit Bowl, Tea/Coffee Cup and Saucer

Serving Bowls, Platter

The set is circa 1949...during a time in US history where it was the "in" thing to buy American, a post- war time when the 'greatest generation' was making a life for themselves (my Great Grandma's heyday...)...The manufacturer, Edwin Knowles, a true Amerian Buisnessman, was said to be a world expert on dinnerware production and design...his business started around the late 1800's with his father and they soon became "world renowned" for their pottery. During this time they made many innovations in the production of semi porcelain china.  Interestingly, the company didn't last into the 60's because of "said" high tariffs that made it cheaper for foreign imported dinnerware manufacturers. (Source: http://modish.net/Edwin-M-Knowles-China-Company)  The 60's was a real downer for America...feminism, sexual revolution, humanism, secularism, hippies, rock, socialism...don't get me started...lol

Anyway,  I just find it so neat when I come across something like this.  I now have some real Americana in my collection of dishes.

Friday, April 13, 2012

The Sense of It All

"The mother is the most precious possession of the nation, so precious that society advances its highest well-being when it protects the functions of the mother." -Ellen Key

Self-Portrait in a Straw Hat, 1782, by Vigée-Le Brun

I'm ever intrigued by an era in which women were allowed to be women without apology or fear of ridicule. I really enjoy the fashion, the social behavior and customs of the late 1700's and early 1800's.(of course this means I am a member of the Regency...and not the great unwashed..) This time in our history is so romantic... Then something comes to mind like yesterday when I was watching the news when the Democratic strategist Hilary Rosen made a comment about Mitt Romney's wife and how she "never worked a day in her life" Get yourself heated up by clicking this link to read the article. http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/story/2012-04-12/ann-romney-hilary-rosen-work/54235706/1 
I feel like I am constantly trying to defend my choice and position as a stay at home wife and mother.  Like the question you get asked from time to time when going out and about running errands like at the doctor's when the receptionist wants updated information when she asks, "do you work?"  Well I tell her.. yes I work...24/7.  I wish women would stop trying to be poor excuses of men...

Right now I am watching the movie Sense and Sensibility.  I wanted to research the movie and in my quest I came across this web site showcasing some fashions come to life in this lady's modern adaptation of several historic dresses.  If my mother was alive...she would love this site. Here's a little preview of what she does with her pattern reproductions.  http://sensibility.com/patterns/ladies-1780s-portrait-dress-pattern/

View 1

If time would ever permit, I would love to make this...can you imagine wearing this...oh so pretty...

View 2
It's just so ladylike...such the opposite of your average everyday walmart sighting....

View 3
The whimsical appeal of wearing long flowing gowns...

Madame Anthony and Her Children, 1785, by Pierre-Paul Prud’hon