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My 19 year old son works at a liquor/convenience store. He has learned a
lot while there. He runs the cash register, opens and closes the store,
etc. He also learned just how many people in out town of 10,000 are
alcoholics and how they are are to manipulate their lives in order to
stay that way. He learned how to help a young girl who had just been
attacked when she ran to him for help and about a woman in desperation
who came in and bought a bottle of vodka and drank it in the parking lot
along with downing a bottle of pills. She left a suicide note on the
window so people saw it eventually - it is a very busy store - and got
her help. For what ever "higher educational" reason he chose to work
there he is leaving. I am hoping he follows his heart for his next step
in what ever he chooses. Actually he said that he has decided to write a
book about aliens:) I'm all for it. One of our other convenience/liquor
stores in town sold beer to a man who was so drunk he could barely stand
up and he was slurring his speech. Of coarse I happened to be next in
line. Not for alcohol:) I was remembering a young persons boyfriend who
had died in a car accident (drug related) two weeks earlier and that it
took hours to get the people out of the car. We could see the blaze of
shining lights - flashing on and off - from across the river. I called
liquor control when I got home.
Two days ago my family and I were out for a nice day. There were 8 of
us. "Nice" being relative. Anyway, a few were having difficulties and as
usual we discuss these issues. My 11 year old son was really ranting and
no one could stand it. We were walking a path in a wooded area that is
quite stunning. Three of us broke off from the pack and sat on a large
rock. My daughter who was in my group was having a difficult time so we
were going over things. The other group were ignoring my 11 year old so
he decided to retrace his steps to find me. He was alone, in other
words. He found me and I was busy. The other part of our group quickly
caught up with us and we asked for another minute to end our
conversation. They and my 11 year old son went to the van. We caught up
with them and went on our way. Meanwhile - I am sure you've all heard
about the mass of child abductions lately. My daughter remembered seeing
a guy at the place where we had walked. He had parked his vehicle and
was pulling out the carpeting and scrubbing it. There is no water - it
is not a facility to clean your car. He had just abducted and raped a 15
year old boy - who got away. He is from Massachusetts. They caught the
guy and arrested him. Someone was watching out for us - especially my 11
year old son. My daughter reported what she saw. Another few lessons
learned. Did you hear Jeb Bush hired a guy - Mr. Renier - to straighten
out the Florida foster care system? Mr. Renier believes children should
be hit until they bruise and you see welts. Women should stay home (good
for home schooling anyway). No one should get a divorce. Etc. More
lessons learned. I have never hit my kids and neither has my husband. I
told him 30 years ago if he ever did we would get a divorce (that was
before we were married). I guess he likes me because we are still
married and he never did hit our kids:) All our kids are the ministering
sensitive kind who are there for others. We are learning to care for
ourselves as well. People frequently wonder what we have done to
"produce" such great people - not perfect-yet, great. We talk. Every one
matters. We don't demean - sometimes - not often. I don't know what
everyone else is doing so I don't have a ruler to measure the
difference. I have always believed life is a learning process that never
ends here or here after. Just keep putting one foot ahead of the other
one and you will get where you are going. Thanks for listening. Michele



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Here in Vermont we have Perkins Pier down near Lake Champlain. It was
named after a man - Mr. Perkins :) - who was then president of UVM. His
son was involved in making sure there were no more Abenaki. This Mr.
Perkins began tricking them into thinking they were getting an injection
for health reasons. While they were out cold he castrated, etc. them so
they could not produce any more "subhuman" - his words NOT mine -
people. He became famous for this and went all over the world lecturing.
One day he was speaking and guess who was in the audience? A young Adolf
Hitler. Hmmm... Our esteemed Gov. Dean says the Abenaki don't exist.
They are not entitled to any thing "special." Abenaki children cannot
receive government monies set aside for college tuition because "they
don't exist." I guess I have been talking to "dead people" because they
seem real enough to me:) Michele



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What about vouchers for homeschooling? If we are able to use them to
choose a public school and the government "lets us" home unschool why
can't we get our money and use it at home? Michele



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