Earth Hour

Untitled from Junebug57 on Vimeo.

Four Wheeling Heaven

With me driving my own four-wheeler, I didn't get as many photos as I would have liked.  It was impossible to get any action shots or riding trails.  A couple of my friends will have some action shots that I can borrow later.  Here my hubby and I are at Little Missouri Falls.  This day turned out to be beautiful and sunny in the afternoon.
This lake was beautiful and big.  There is a fisherman and his dog that pulled up when we were eating our lunch.  I have some more shots of him later.  That dog was a real fisher!  
The fog was thick this morning as we rode.  It started to burn off in a few hours.
A little rain must fall even on my lens.  oops!  This is Sugar Creek overlook.
This was a small cave.  The water flowing in these creeks was extremely cold.  But it made some beautiful music as we rode along.  There were great big ferns growing and little wild flowers everywhere.  We could even tell the direction north by the moss growing on the trees.  

I Wear My Helmet!

It was pretty cold this day but we had the best time.  It's not too hard to dress warmly in layers and shed them when it warms up.  This is at the top of an area called Sugar Creek overlook.  We rode for miles and miles.  I honestly can say that I have never in my life had this much fun.  I mean outdoors, wind on your face, sailing along the road, climbing up mountains, eating a packed lunch outdoors, crossing creeks, and being with good friends, what more could you ask?  It's like being a kid again having outdoor adventures.  Fresh air is not highly overrated.  It's priceless.  

Greetings from Arkansas

An old rock tower at the top of the mountain.  (and Pamela, I do wear my helmet when riding my ATV)  :D

Wordless Wednesday-On Fire

For more Wordless Wednesday look here. 

(We're back from trip and I will post photos soon.)

Spring Break

We're headed for Arkansas tomorrow for spring break.  It will be so good to get away with some friends.  We'll be staying in three bedroom/three bath cabins that have fireplaces, hot tubs, and grills.  Also all the amenities of home to use.  We most likely will be eating out every evening, but we might choose to grill sometime.  There is a lake and marina.  We will be taking our four wheelers out every day.  We won't be far from Crater of Diamond State Park.  I have so over packed but we don't know what weather to expect and I have plenty of room in our Tundra.  We'll return next week and I will post photos and videos.  

Income Tax

Here begins my little rant:

I always put off rounding up my income tax information to take to the CPA because we always have to pay.  I avoid it as long as possible. I don't mind paying the government for their job of governing and the freedoms we enjoy in this country.  

BUT...

I don't like the idea of redistributing my wealth to bailout Wall Street and whatever else the government tacks on to it.  My husband and I work hard for our money and I don't mind sharing with the poor and needy, but I don't enjoy paying for unnecessary spending and funding people who buy houses above their means and expect the government to bail them out.  (or banks that were predators in lending)

We are very fortunate to have our house paid off.  Our vehicles are paid in full.  We do not have credit card debt.  Two of our children are in college and that is paid in full.  Our oldest daughter has graduated from private college and that is paid in full.  We are very fortunate to be in this position.  

When I think of the term "paid in full", I must tell you that I am reminded of our salvation which is paid in full.  I also must admit that everything we have been given is from God.  

Deuteronomy 8:18 NIV
But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.

So there you have it.  A political and religious post all in one!  What is the world coming to?  It makes me wonder how far down the road to socialism is the United States?  We may find our tax bracket increasing to 39.6% with the Obama administration this year.  We already pay 5.7% state income tax in Oklahoma.  We also pay 9.25% sales tax on most everything we buy, including groceries.  Our gasoline is taxed at a rate I don't even know.  We give at least 10% of our money to the church and a few charities.  We also pay for all of our own health insurance and health care.  We can't even deduct that 100%.  We find ourselves in the middle where we make too much to get any breaks or tax credits and not enough to get any breaks or loopholes like the rich.    Adding together federal and state and contributions we get about 44.7% left for ourselves.  I hope that President Obama does not retroactively take back our tax cuts (?) from the last few years we supposedly received from the Bush administration.  I read in Obama's programs listed before he was elected that he intended on asking Americans to give back those tax cuts.  If he is asking, then I guess I will just say "no."  

Does anyone understand why everyone paying the same percentage of their income on taxes wouldn't work?  Just a flat rate for everyone?  

I apologize for the soap box.  I will now step off it.

Lunch with Swampy

What a great delight to get to meet and visit with Swampy and her Little Miss P.  We had lunch together at Frank and Lola's restaurant.
This is the very first time I have been able to meet another blogger.  I tried to find a way to meet Bossy but it didn't work out.  I must tell you that after 1-1/2 years of reading Swampy's blog and her comments to others and me, I felt completely at ease.  It was like meeting someone you already knew to some degree.  She made me feel very welcome and we visited and had lunch together with Little Miss P.  I hope she enjoyed it as much as I did.  It certainly made my day!  It's such a small world after all.  When you think of all the people that are connected to other people, really we are just degrees away from knowing many people.  

Something funny that we have in common is my nickname and her dog's name, Junebug.  My middle name is June and my dad always called me Junebug.  My mother's middle name is June also, but at least she was born in June.  I passed the middle name on to my oldest daughter too.  

Now isn't everyone envious that I was able to meet Swampy?  If you noticed that road trip she made recently I think half the country could have met her!  (ha ha)  I count myself lucky and can't wait to see her again someday.

Super Heroes Unite!

My Super Hero self.  You can make your own at The Hero Factory.

Wordless Wednesday-Like Mother, Like Daughter

Like Mother, Like Daughter

Like Grandmother, Like Granddaughters

Look here for more Wordless Wednesday.

P.S.  I will tell you about the two beautiful people I met yesterday.  You'll recognize them too.  It was a wonderful day!