She said SHE said

IAT = I am thankful

That America is still free.
That information is freely available.
That there is much RIGHT with the world.
That I can communicate with my elected officials.
That I can always control ME.

So, some time ago, I started getting emails from Ann Kirkpatrick, an Arizona congresswoman who I did not vote for. Maybe she got my email when I went to Washington DC with Project Centrl and we visited her, Paul Gosar, and Jeff Flake. I actually requested last week that she remove me from her list. I'm just not a fan of modern Democratic principles.

But, I'm still getting them and today, this came across. It was titled Pass a Clean Funding Bill Now.

Dear Friend,

I wanted to share with you this Arizona Republic editorial, which calls on Congress to pass a “clean funding bill now” to restart the government and protect our economy. This is my firm position as well.

So far, House leadership refuses to allow a vote on a clean bill, and instead is holding votes on bills loaded with ideological baggage or piecemeal bills that pick winners and losers and do not end the shutdown.

So I will continue to call on my House colleagues to stop the partisan games and allow a vote on a clean bill to fund the government. That’s what I did Wednesday morning on the House floor (click here to watch the video). Thanks -- Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick

Excerpts of Arizona Republic editorial:

“We need a clean funding bill now. Then we need a debate on the budget, unhampered by proxy fights over "Obamacare."
…
The consequences of failing to fund the government — and possibly extending the dysfunction to defaulting on America’s debt — are certain, not speculative.

The damage will be real. The economic consulting firm IHS Global Insight puts the cost of the shutdown/slowdown at $12.5 million an hour, according to NBC News.
…
In a few weeks, Congress needs to raise the debt ceiling. Screw this up in the name of ideological purity and America becomes the deadbeat Dad on the international stage. Kiss the recovery goodbye. Then try to convince the world’s investors to let their money ride on the United States.
…
America deserves better.

Click HERE to read The Republic’s full editorial.

A) The government has temporarily shut down before. B) No matter how bad it hurts, the leaders of this country need to get these problems solved. Starting with NOT funding the "Affordable" Health Care Act. How many people are already suffering by being cut to part time? And, if the new reports are true, penalties for not participating may include being fined over $4000, having money seized from your bank account, driver's license suspended, and liens put on your house. WHAT country are we in? Anyway, I decided to write the good congresswoman back. And here is what I said.

Honorable Representative Kirkpatrick,

Thank you for your email about funding the government. I have to reply with STRONG disagreement. The house has sent several options to the Senate as a compromise, and yet, the President absolutely refuses to accept any kind of compromise as well as the Democratically controlled Senate. It's more "my way or the highway" rhetoric from Pres Obama and the Senate. This "Affordable Care" highway we have carelessly entered is proving to the majority plus of Americans, that it has the potential to break our health care system and break our economy. Right is right. Why would any representative want to move forward when there are so many glaring unanswered concerns? Or are we just going to go along with the argument (AGAIN), "just fund it, and then you'll find out." The problem is, we're all finding out, and it looks HORRIFIC. How can you in good conscience, who has taken an oath of office to defend and protect the Constitution, even consider moving forward with this? Good day, and please answer my question, because heck yes I want a response.

Sincerely, Dawn Norton (no political affiliation)

(The system asked if I wanted a response) We'll see if I hear back.

Random thoughts of safety, living, and morning giggles

Not necessarily in that order. 

IAT = I am thankful

for safety, more than once
for successful surgeries
for lives well lived
for missionary letter day
for friendly morning greetings

I was GOING to write this post last week, but my time is so all over the place. But after yesterday, I really want to write it. So, last week I had tons of stuff to be grateful for, but I was falling asleep at the wheel as I drove to Duncan. Then, when I woke up in the other lane (this has happens a LOT of times to me, it shook me up), I was very grateful I woke up. It always shakes me up for that to happen. But I was just very grateful for the safety I was given in the moment.

I don't like seeing this when I wake up, but better than permanent sleepage. Sigh.

Yesterday I had a funny moment. I went out walking early. A runner friend of mine ran up behind me and yelled out, "Good morning Dawn!" What's the opposite of an oxymoron? It just hit me funny. It WAS Dawn, *I* am Dawn, and it was a GOOD morning. It was beautiful weather and on a whim, after being invited by her running partner, I ran a half mile of my walk. And it was ok. It wasn't too much. I did it. I may have to try it again! :-)

Then I went to a funeral. An unexpected life graduation. A life WELL lived. Usually I find those inspiring. But yesterday I felt terribly guilty. All the while knowing I should not be comparing. But I did, and in the end, it brought me to pondering and perhaps some good things will come of it???

And at the end of the day? Oh my gosh! Another near miss. I went to pick up Emily from volleyball. Who knows why life turns the way it does. Normally I would have sent Jefferson, but I decided to go. When I got there, she got in, and I paused because her sweet friend was wearing these totally hot pink shorts. So, I rolled down the window and teased her a little. I didn't send Jefferson. I stopped a few extra seconds. Did it make a difference? Who knows? So off we go back home. I'm asking her about her day and just about to tell her something silly as we move through the GREEN lighted intersection. Often I look both ways when I am the lead car in an intersection, but this time I did not. I was just enjoying my daughter. We were 2/3 through the intersection when I turned to look at her and in a millisecond of recognition, saw the old blue truck passing right in from of us, and slammed on the breaks and missed it. BARELY. Immediately I questioned MYSELF, and looked up and saw:

the light was GREEN. He ran the light. And then you have that knowing close miss moment where you realize you could have been a grill ornament and not a very pretty one at that. I felt very unsettled and at the same time very grateful. She wasn't wearing a seatbelt, and it would have been her side. Super hyperventilation. Maybe I needed to be the one driving. Maybe it was simply a near miss and that was all. But I felt I was being watched over by those answered prayers again. So, thanks Heavenly Father for having my back, my front, and my sides. I hope my time is still long upon the earth, because I know I can't do anything to shorten it. But others can. :-/

In the meantime, I can live my life well. And I'm going to try and be better at that.

The Credit Score Scam

IAT = I am thankful

for new learning experiences
for opportunities to let go
for a quiet night in the middle of chaos
for answered prayers
for new beginnings

7 tips to credit sanity. Maybe.

It was only a short time ago when I discovered that we had a nearly perfect credit score. It was combined around 810. 850 is as high as it goes. We have gone to great lengths to be perfect in our payments and be responsible in our financial obligations. Truthfully, we've had a few close calls. A nearly 30 day late here or there. Forgotten payments with late fees and the like. But, fortunately, we've always been able to keep our credit tidy. Until recently. I've spent the last 8 months trying to recover from credit problems, most of which were not of our making or out of our control. In the last couple of months, I've learned more than I ever wanted to know about credit. And in the end, I've discovered that it's similar to a savvy poker game, where the house has the ultimate advantage. In this case, the house is whatever lender you need at the moment. Here are the high points of what I have learned. And I'll share an article at the end that tells you a little more about how your score is weighted.

#1. If you EVER plan on taking out a loan, especially a mortgage, be VERY CAREFUL about making disputes. If you do not want a dispute on your credit history, make sure you make it clear that YOU DO NOT WANT A DISPUTE ON YOUR REPORT. I almost literally had to scream this at Equifax the other day because I had spent 3 days trying to get 2 disputes off my report so we could get a home loan. One of them, we have no idea where it came from. It was with Home Depot who we have a perfect payment record with. I learned from reading online, that a dispute can be recorded simply by calling in and disagreeing with for example, a payment recorded, the amount, a product return; anything you could possibly complain about COULD be recorded by the debtor as a dispute. Disputes can have a positive or negative effect when taken off. Because until they are resolved, that item is not calculated in their score.

#2. If you are working with anyone to fix problems on your credit and raise your score, check your score YOURSELF! Because every time your credit has a "hard" check, it dings your score. I had no idea every time I had a previous lender check it, that it would be on my report for TWO YEARS, whether I got a loan or not. So, shopping for a car? Make sure you've chosen ONE LENDER and find the car before you are ready to do the loan.

#3. If you move, BEFORE YOU MOVE, make sure anyone you owe money too, knows exactly where you are going. In the middle of a crazy life and a crazier moving circumstances last fall, we changed address and phone number. The next thing we knew we had a collection for a medical bill. Sigh. That one was painful. But even so, we were able to pay it off quickly, work around the collector, and get it removed.

#4. Equifax is a horse's patoot. Experian is AWESOME. Transunion is somewhere in between. Home Depot worked really well with fixing the non-dispute. JC Penney, GREATEST CREDITOR OUT THERE. They report to the agencies EVERY SINGLE DAY. The importance of that, is that if you pay off a balance, or close the account, or do anything, you are not held hostage by the standard 30 day blah, blah, blah, your living changing score is at the mercy of time and everyone who really doesn't care much that you are being held hostage by their policies. I propose an American Credit Reporting Law that requires all creditors to report at least WEEKLY. That way you don't have to wait so long for what you need. Everything is digital these days. Why is credit reporting in the stone age?

#5. Length of time of credit. I've closed a lot of accounts over the years because I don't want unnecessary credit open that others might want to try to use. Apparently this is a bad thing. They want to see a long history of open credit. Find one or two you like and charge OCCASIONALLY and keep a SMALL balance.

#6. Large balances kill you. They almost wipe out your good history. If you have more than one account with more than a 50% balance of your available credit, BAD NEWS. Lowers your score. Even if you are making home repairs for a few months and pay it off in full after a few months. For those months it's higher, you get stinky scores.

#7. DON'T EVER BE LATE. Kiss of death. Enough said. We had a 2 month 30 day late showing on a  payment that was an incorrect reporting. Because I was dealing directly with the debtor, human error (bad memory and follow through on their part), it took EIGHT MONTHS to get it perfectly corrected and in the end, one of the credit bureaus was still reporting it wrong and I had to start all over again. That same company though saved the day when the credit bureau got it wrong.

Final thought. Long ago when lending wasn't so brutal, you could write a little note of explanation or have the debtor send a letter verifying facts. I know this because we did it. Not now. The credit score is the law, and no explanation will change it. EVER. Until it's changed. Until you put in the blood, sweat, tears, and time to get it changed. It is completely skewed to the benefit of the lenders. That's all. The end.

Here's the article about scoring and how it works.

Credit Score Nirvana

My Not so Very Ordinary Day

IAT = I am thankful

for grateful children
for clouds
for productive work
for dancing
for sunsets

It was a simple ordinary day. And the ordinary made it beautiful. I don't know how I managed a stress free day with the many things going on in a row, but somehow I found that sweet spot, where you just notice things that make you happy. I started out a little cranky, coming down hard on the kids because they've been particularly hard to motivate to do what they ought to be doing. I came home later in the day, after being hard on them, to find my teen boy had written this.

My first thought was I was not really deserving of it today, but I just went with the happy moment.

Then I was in a rush to get to work and get lots of little details completed before I went to show property. I even left early to make sure I got to my appointment on time. But, as often happens, I was delayed anyway by road construction. And while I sat, I noticed all the beautiful clouds. It's so rare to see the big fluffy white kind, so I just sat and enjoyed it and called my client and explained I was delayed.

I ended up showing 4 properties instead of 2, making my day longer than planned, but as I was dropping him off, I was driving through Clifton and saw this. It's a regular appearance all around Clifton. So interesting how they just scale the cliffs like it's a walk in the park.

The retired Bish was back in Duncan working on our house again. We recently sold it. Actually it is pending, but there are lots of things to do that take more time and money than we bargained for, but that's just the way it is. I've been listening to this, this week.

I am so completely in love with every song on this album. I can't wait for the Mish3 to get home and share it with him, because I know he'll love the whole thing too. So, I listened to the Something Stupid song about 100 times while driving today. Ok, maybe 10. I LOVE THAT SONG, and I had an irresistible urge to dance with my husband on our front porch, because A) I don't think we danced together at the reception Saturday, and B) when will I ever get another chance to dance with him on the front porch? He needed a few things from the van, so I drove up a few minutes before him, and ordered him center stage and turned on the song.

Something Stupid Video

And we danced.  :-)

And then I ran some errands for Emily that took me more time. And finally steered back toward the Gila Valley. Oh great, sigh, it's getting dark. But then I saw lots of this.

How can you be upset about driving home at night when getting to night was so beautiful! And then home, feet up for 10, something to eat (something wonderful to eat), and some last minute school and grocery shopping. Nothing but ordinary stuff, interlaced with beautiful gifts of tender mercies to make it lovely. It was an awesome day.

HItting Highlights--Days 5 and 6

IAT = I am thankful

to have access to peace any time.
for beauty in new things in old places.
for a way to leave the world behind.
for friendly faces in those places.
for early mornings. (did I really say that?)

So, here's the deal. We did SO MUCH in Israel, that it can't all be blogged about. So, I'll post our itinerary notes and if you really want a feel for the trip, you'll just have to google some of those things. Since being home, I have found Israel has been life changing. I cannot do ANYTHING that has the slightest reminder without picturing what I saw and felt. For example. I went visiting teaching the other day, and the message was about how the Savior taught women. It mentioned Mary and Martha, and all I could see in my mind was Lazarus tomb and the stories we shared there.

This evening, I went to a baptism, and I could see and feel the Jordan River around my legs. And a friend on the trip immersing himself multiple times. And knowing that immersion is the way it was done in that day, because of the Jordan River and all the mikvehs that were in many of the dwellings we saw from that time. 

We traipsed all over Bible lands, so many stories will now be vivid to me. So wonderful!

DAY 5/ Monday, July 1, 2013- Early start at 7AM for bus to Dung Gate to meet Western Wall Tunnel at 7:40 AM; View the Bar Mitzvah’s; Go to the Jewish Quarter for the Temple Institute; lunch on our own, Herodion House with the three 1^st century Priest homes, Broad Wall, the Cardo, the Hurva Synagogue, etc.  Go to the Davidson Center and Ophel Gardens and the southern wall and steps; Warren Shaft, Hezekiah’s tunnel and pool of Siloam.  Dinner and stay at the Olive Tree Hotel.

DAY 6/ Tuesday, July 2, 2013-  Morning visit to Yad Vashem; Travel to the Elah valley for David and Goliath; Visit Tel Bet Shemesh for the Samson story; Lunch stop at park near Elah, where Basam arranged a picnic.  Traveled up the Beit Horon pass  to Nebi Samwil (the remembrance of Samuel, the prophet) on the way into Jerusalem.  Dinner and stay at the Olive Tree Hotel.

 Just a beautiful spot I loved.

 Western Wall under the city. People go down under to pray too.

 Street level

 Stones Jesus would have walked on.

 I think this is the coolest picture. Love the light and darkness.

 

 Walking through the old city.

  

Men's side Western Wall

 Women's side

Bar Mitzvahs end at the Western Wall

Of Matriarchs, Patriarchs, and Bethlehem

IAT = I am thankful

for rain
for protection for my missionary
for new opportunities
for challenges
for answers to prayer

Before I start with our trip through the Judean Hills to other places, I'll explain my very limited knowledge of Israel, the Jews, and the Palestinians. Now. Not history. Well, one piece of history. When the Jews took back control of Israel in the 6 day war, including the capture of the temple mount, after 3 days, they gave the temple mount back to the Palestinians. I found that pretty incredible. Some areas are run by Jews, and others are controlled by Palestinians. Bethlehem for example.

Jerusalem is filled with Palestinians and Jews living nearly side by side. Doing business together, etc. On Shabbat, the Jews welcome in the Sabbath at the Western Wall at the base of the temple mount. Every day, Muslims respond to the call to prayer 5 times a day, on top of the mount if they wish. Or anywhere in the city. You can hear it all throughout the city of Jerusalem, beginning at 4:30 am.

But in Palestinian controlled areas, the Israeli government warns Jews not to go there. See the warning below. There is a wall a few miles outside of Jerusalem. It was built to keep the suicide bombers from constantly crossing over and blowing themselves up. I really want to read more about the history of Israel.

Our Jewish guide, could not go with us to Bethlehem and a few other sites, and after the first 5 days, we switched to a Palestinian guide. I hope I got that right.
 

Judean Hills

Israeli soldiers at Cave of the Patriarchs, and Bret

Home of tombs of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and their wives? Tradition.
Half owned by Jews, half owned by Muslims.

 Some pray at this wall

Probably not one of the patriarchs buried here, but close if not.

Devout Jew with phylacteries.

Celebrating with a shofar

 Now we go to the Palestinian side

The guy handing out the modesty cloaks enjoyed himself a little too much. :-/

Entrance to...Abraham Are you down there?

Glass blowing at Halhul

and ceramics

Bedouin lunch. So awesome. An upside down yummy dish. "Some" of us dressed up and danced.

 mekloubah or upside down

Church of Nativity (History)

Going into Jerome's Grotto, another possible site of the nativity and where the Bible was translated.

A view from the Herodian.

Burial. 

Herod's Fortress

Rolling stones. Ancient weapons.

Only $25,000. Hand carved olive wood.

 I passed. :-)

 Shepherd's field (There's three of them. This is "Mormon" Shepherd's Field)

 Singing Christmas carols in July

 The watch tower

 Read more about the shepherds and their VERY special flock.

Hill Har Homa

I LOVED SHEPHERD'S FIELD!!! Bethlehem! Here we read the Christmas story and sang Oh Little Town of Bethlehem, O Come All Ye Faithful, and other Christmas hymns. And it reminded me of being in the Sacred Grove. There was a breeze and it seemed to whisper that the Shepherd's story was true. It carried our songs across the Judaean desert. And it strengthened my testimony that what they saw was true.