My husband and I were enjoying a peaceful Saturday morning, when I downloaded my email late in the morning and received a CNN email alert that Tony Snow had passed from here to heaven at about 2 am (they didn’t say it that way, but I’m sure that’s where he is.) It was a blow to read this, hubby and I have appreciated Tony for many reasons over the years.

We were both so excited when he became President Bush’s White House Press Secretary, and sorry when he had to step down. He was able to keep a positive demeanor in every situation we saw him in. My husband sent an email to Snow when he was recuperating quite a while back letting him know he was prayed for, because we knew Tony Snow to be a man of prayer and faith. He received an email reply that was written in a personal way, we like to think Tony Snow took the time to reply himself in spite of his busy life, but whether he needed help to respond or not, it was a warm and gracious response.

Our prayers are now for the family he leaves behind, his wife, and I believe a son and two daughters. In my thinking, he was too young to die, but he is in God’s wonderful care now, whole, perfect, how can you wish one back from that? Still, we will miss him.

I guess it’s pretty obvious by now I’m a casual blogger, not jumping on every issue that comes down the pike, and blogging when I’m inspired to do so. Maybe keeping up with several other blogs has a bit to do with it as well.

To state the obvious, in the 10 days since I last posted, Hillary finally said her reluctant “goodbye“…and she really has been silent, hasn’t she? Of course all wonder what her next move will be, will she be on the ticket with Obama, the “dream team” as some democrats and the media like to call it? The thought of it turns me off, not because I am a republican, but because I think that she is far too manipulative, and might do all she can to overshadow Obama.

In the past 10 days a familiar, smiling face will no longer smile at us in person, but only in our memories, through pictures and television…of course I am referring to Tim Russert, who’s wake was in Washington DC today, a closed casket…I like that, it is best to remember him as he was, alive, full of energy, smiling. What a loss, my prayers are with his wife, son, and his father, Russ, made famous by Tim’s book, “Big Russ and Me”. What deep loss must be felt by all. It was kind of a blow to me as my hubby, the inspiration for this blog, suffered a heart attack (he’s doing fine) one year ago ON Father’s Day. I’m feeling extra fortunate to still have him with me.

There have been some town hall meetings…I’ve watched a couple, until the two candidates are face to face, they will be “more of the same” to me….rehashing of the same things over and over again, with slight changes and variations as they form their positions…at least I assume they are still forming them.

Stupidest (is that a word?) thing I saw was just today, the new anti-McCain ad by MoveOn.Org, it’s on their site if you want to view it. It’s based on the idea that McCain will keep soldiers in Iraq for an undetermined amount of time..shows a mother appealing to McCain on behalf of her baby boy who is sitting on her lap, as if when he is a man, McCain will TAKE him from her. Since when are we TAKING soldiers? We haven’t had a draft since Viet Nam, and no one is twisting the arms of soldiers to enlist in the service. They join by CHOICE. Stupid, stupid ad.

In the meantime, prices of oil keep rising, natural disasters keep happening, now airlines will be cutting back dramatically, the stock market remains unstable, the far-reaching affect of so many things is hard to predict.

But still, America is the greatest nation in the world, I really do believe that, we’ve been through hard times before, and God has blessed us. Do I dare say that if we keep forgetting Who has blessed us, keep forgetting to thank Him, keep expecting men to do what only God can do, some of that blessing may be removed? That’s a topic for another day. Good night for now.