It’s been a treat to hear about the wonderful soldiers who are happy to go back to Iraq and finish the work they have started…yes, you heard it right, they’ve been there, and they want to go back. Today it was Wayne Leyd who won a million dollars with a scratch-off ticket, he wanted to go back and it was in the plans before he won the million…he feels blessed, and wants to pass that blessing along by continuing the good work being done in Iraq.

Then there are the soldiers who return to active service after having lost limbs. Oh sure, the media says that’s because the military, who used to let these guys come home for good, are now rehabilitating them just to get them out in the field again…but be careful with the spin they put on this…wounded soldiers are given the option to return, and many chose to. If you had joined the military by choice (remember, no more draft), had been in active duty, and lost a limb, would you just want to be sent home as someone who is now pretty much useless to the military? I don’t think so…I’m not sure I’d be half as brave as these men and woman, my thanks to you all!

The media says that the virtual fence that they were originally going to put along the border of the US and Mexico isn’t going to happen as quickly as they originally thought. Technology, money, whatever the reason, it brings up thoughts about discussions that my husband (the inspiration for this blog…getting in touch with his “political” side) and I have had about the issue.

I struggle with the whole issue, whether it’s used as a political issue to leverage votes or not. I’m a compassionate person…this isn’t saying hubby isn’t, but let me explain. We have more Mexicans living close to us here in Northern NJ than we ever have, I don’t remember any living nearby even just 5 years ago, but now there is a whole community of them in a town very close to us. I think they may congregate there because there is a place that caters to people that are looking for day laborers. My husband is from Colorado, this isn’t new to him. When he came out here close to 30 years ago, seeing so many black Americans was a new thing to him. Oh please, when you’re reading this, don’t think I’m going to speak out against any races, I’m not, it just fits in with the topic here.

Anyway, hubby is kind of cut and dry about the whole issue, Mexicans are getting into the country illegally, so any Mexican we see is suspect, possibly an illegal alien. It brings up huge controversial discussions between us every time we see a Mexican, because I don’t want prejudiced thinking to begin. I see this controversy as something that can stimulate negative thinking towards a people group. He says the fact that they are people that God loves and we should care about them isn’t the issue, the issue is that they are people that God loves that are criminals and need to be held accountable, and shouldn’t be here if they are here illegally. Do you see my struggle? Help! It’s a tough one. More on this another day.

Buckley has been found dead in his home at the age of 82. He was an acting, passionate conservative before I knew what a conservative was, or even cared to know.

Here is a link to an article Buckley wrote in the National Review, and was published just 25 days ago, about the debate between Hillary and O’Bama. It is written as only he can write it.

My condolences to the family, those who worked closely with him, and to all who will miss his passion for conservative values.

The rates go up, the rates go down, this is a natural process, a way of trying to stabilize what  appears to be an unstable economy. There is talk today of the interest rates going down again. The instability in the economy is blamed on the rising cost of energy, on the cost of war, and a consequence that is also a cause - the plunge in the housing market.  I’m sure there is a lot more to this, I’m not an economist.

How do we be optimistic at times when the news media wants to take us down?  I love keeping up with current events…but lets face it, the news media likes to focus on the negative more than the positive.   Remember that the economy, like everything else, goes through cycles, cause and effect.  I’ve been through low interest rates, high interest rates, the gas lines of the early 1970’s, good times, bad times. Yes, there are bad things about lowering the interest rates, like the affect that it has on your savings, money market accounts, etc., but there are good things to…are you buying your first home?  This is a great time, the prices are down PLUS the rates are low.  Are you sitting in a warm home, and eating every day?  You have a lot to be  thankful for.  If you’re struggling, are you receiving some assistance from the government, a church, friends?  Yes, I know some are in very serious circumstances.  And for others of us, yes, things can seem tough at times, at least what feels like tough to us spoiled Americans, but we have loads to be thankful for if we take the time to think about it…don’t want to go there? Okay, be miserable, but I’m going to take some time right now to count my blessings.

The news is full of stories related to the condition of our economy and how it is affecting each one of us in one way or another. It was so easy to borrow at one time, and know that you would have the money to pay back your Auto Loans, home mortgage, or personal loans. But life circumstances can change all that very quickly. We know, we have been through a time of pay cutbacks, unemployment, and a medical emergency in the past 4 years…we are doing okay, but it is challenging.

So far, our credit rating is good, but we are realizing the importance of personal responsibility in borrowing. I think it’s easy to think that a lender will lend with the borrowers best interest in mind, but banking is a business, we, the borrowers, have to do our homework.

There are lenders who offer sub-prime financial services in order to help those who are suffering from bad credit, and may need what they call Bad Credit Loans, loans that people with bad credit can get under certain circumstances. Then, here is where personal responsibility comes in, you must be faithful in making your payments, and by doing so, you can improve your credit rating again.

Last night I asked my husband, if he were a Democrat, which of the two candidates would he rather have in the White House. His choice was Barack, not because he thinks Barack has the experience to do the job, but because the Clinton’s have too much power and too many connections in high places, and perhaps not always the right “high places”. This power may not always be used to bring about the best for the Country.

While both of us strongly disagree with some of the things Barack states he will do once in the White House, and despise the lack of respect he seems to show our sitting President, he simply doesn’t have the power, and the connections the Clinton’s do to accomplish all that he would like to accomplish.

That can be a good thing!

The economy is a huge factor in the upcoming election, and something that is on many of our minds. I know that we have found ourselves suffering the affects since the attack on the World Trade Center in New York City. Even though we live in a rural part of Northern NJ, we are about an hours drive from the location. Most of the jobs that my husband’s former company did were for Port Authority, which was based in the WTC. So you can imagine the dramatic affect it had on his company, over time there were pay cutbacks in form of only working 4 days a week, and only being paid for 4 days, equal to a 20% pay cut. Then there was a job change, then unemployment for a time, and we are looking ahead to that possibility again. We are not frivolous with our money, but through all of this, we have acquired some unexpected debt, and I’m sure we are not alone.

Whatever the cause for debt, sometimes Debt Counseling is necessary, and visiting a website like DebtConsolidation.com may be a good start. They are an online counseling service that will help you get your debt under control through a variety of programs. Stop by for a visit, it’s a great website!

And as for this blog, I’d like to take a closer look at the issues that affect politics more in the days to come, so keep an eye out!