This Is Where I Plan to Get Married, Eventually!

This church is just a couple of blocks from where I am currently living. Brian and his family have been members since his ancestors came from Poland in the late 19th century. It is just beautiful.

St. Stanislaus Catholic Church
Twin spires, ornate detail lend magnificence to St. Stanislaus

Lindsey

It Is Time to Move On … Literally and Figuratively

I realize that it has been months since I’ve last posted. After Obama won the Presidency in November, there didn’t seem to be much to say. I hope that he does well, if nothing else, for the sake of the country. It appears that no one is truly in charge anymore, or that anyone has the answers to both the financial crisis, and the deep political divide that still haunts this country. This country desperately needs responsible leadership, and I don’t believe that Obama is the right person to provide it. I sincerely hope that I am wrong. That said, it will be amazing to watch history be made once again. At 28, I’ve already watched so much history be made. I wonder what things will be like when I am 90!

On a personal note, I’ve been working for Best Buy during the holiday season. I really enjoy it, and I hope that it continues, although that is out of my hands. I’m still very much trying to get my career going. If it is in the works for me to pursue a career at Best Buy, I would certainly welcome it. I enjoyed working there that much. More than anything else, it was the people that I worked with that made (make) it great.

I wish that I could say that 2008 was a great year, but quite simply, it wasn’t. Economically, things have only gotten worse in Michigan, especially the tri-city area. Once again, I’ve been extremely close to getting my career going only to have things slip through my hands. I can’t gain more experience if no one is willing or able to provide me with the opportunity to work. I’m certainly hoping that 2009 will provide me with a fresh start career wise.

Lindsey

Teenage Sex and Marriage in America

Just like everything else surrounding Sarah Palin, the announcement that her 17 year-old daughter Bristol is pregnant caused quite the stir. Obviously, it would be controversial no matter whom the 17 year-old, but this is different. Sarah Palin’s parenting skills are being called into question, and many have suggested that Bristol’s parents are forcing her to marry the baby’s father. I sit back in awe and disgust. Hopefully this whole scenario will highlight our deep hypocrisy when it comes to teenagers, sex, and marriage.

There are a few things that I know that no one seems to want to acknowledge:

1. Contraception is never fool-proof. The talking heads can suggest that more sex education is needed all they want, but the larger point is ignored. No matter how much you teach teenagers about contraception, there isn’t a form out there, short of abstinence, that is 100% effective. Condemns break, the pill can easily be rendered ineffective (much to the horror of some young couples I know), so on, so forth. I don’t agree with abstinence only education, but I also wish that more attention was paid to actual facts of contraception and sex in general.

2. Our society is hyper-sexualized. This would be OK if it was only focused on adults, but younger and younger children are being exposed to sexual themes. As a result, teenagers need more accurate information earlier and earlier in order to make truly informed decisions regarding sexuality. There has long been lots of peer pressure to have sex in high school, if not earlier.

3. You can’t fight nature. Let’s face it: our bodies are designed for reproduction from puberty on. As puberty comes earlier and earlier in life, younger and younger kids are asked to fight their hormones. A lot of self-restraint and information are needed to ensure that kids going through puberty understand what is going on and the true consequences of their actions.

4. Some people actually do fall in love at age 17. I have a wonderful example of this in my extended family. I have a great aunt who married at age 17 (he was 17 too). She never went to college, but she and her husband raised three children who all went on to receive Ivy League educations. My great uncle went on to have a successful career with Coca-Cola, my great aunt went on to serve her community in innumerable and invaluable ways, and all of their children went on to become very successful. Quite frankly, my great aunt was the very last person in the world I would suspect not have a college education. Obviously, their story has the best possible ending. That isn’t the point. The facts that Bristol is pregnant at 17, decided to marry the baby’s father, and chose life over an abortion does not mean that she ruined her life. It just means that she will have more challenges than most.

5. Forcing a 17 year-old girl to do anything, much less marry, is a challenge to say the least. I’m only 27, and I remember vividly what I was like at 17. I thought that I knew everything. I couldn’t wait to go to college and leave home. I fought with my Dad. There was no way that my parents were going to force me to do anything. It is from this understanding that I conclude that Bristol Palin probably really wants to get married. She probably truly does love the baby’s father. It doesn’t mean that it will work out in the end.

6. No one’s life is perfect. Everyone has challenges, and this is probably one of the Palin family’s.

7. No child is a punishment. All life should be cherished. I commend Bristol for making these tough adult decisions.

I could go on and on, but I think that you get my point. Our society certainly has a double standard when it comes to sex and teenagers, especially when it comes to women.

Lindsey

Book Reviews

Since I began utilizing Library Thing back in July, I have written several book reviews and have snagged several advanced reading copies of books that have yet to be published (or have just recently been published). I’m debating whether or not to start another blog dedicated to book reviews. Until then, I will post them here. Below is a link to my reviews thus far:

My Library Thing Reviews

Lindsey

Sarah Palin and the Book Burning Snit

There has been so much said about Sarah Palin these last few weeks, but there are some “scandals” that have really gotten under my skin. First and foremost, it was discovered that Sarah Palin asked about whether or not books could legally be banned. All she did was ASK (as Alaska governor, it was her JOB to know whether or not it was legally possible). Note: During Sarah Palin’s entire career, she has not once tried to ban any books. This is an important distinction.

In light of this non-controversy, I soon learned that the reported “list” of books that Sarah Palin “tried” to ban actually has been cirulating online for years. It is a list of all of the books that have been banned (or people have tried to ban) across the United States. In fact, several of the books on the list weren’t even published at the time that Sarah Palin sent the e-mail.

Included on the list were several books books that caught my attention. In fact, several works by Roald Dahl were mentioned. Many of his books were read aloud by my teachers during my elementary school days, and I consider them among my favorite children’s books. When you add books by Mark Twain and Harper Lee, a significant part of my early education would have been banned by certain people.

If there was one thing that would cause me to lose respect for Sarah Palin, this would be it. Quite simply, there is no evidence that she ever tried to ban books. However, as a bibliophile, my right to read what I want is sacred. I will not tolerate people trying to ban books. Recently, this issue was broached on LibraryThing. I wanted to respond badly, but was unsure of how to do so. Those who believe such things about Sarah Palin can’t be reasoned with at all; they will deny everything even in the face of hard evidence. It is truly disgusting.

Lindsey Russell

My Library Thing

A Few Notes from My Desk

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to thank readers who still haven’t given up on my blogging efforts. There are a few things that I need to address.

1. This blog is once again political. I know that I said earlier this summer that I was going to refrain from discussing politics. Quite simply, Sarah Palin changed all of that for me. End of story.

2. You will see changes soon. I’m not going to outline them yet, but there is a lot in the works.

I just wanted to clear that all up!

Lindsey

Sweetness & Light

Another great political blog. Brian brought it to my attention. He really does have a good eye.

Sweetness & Light

Lindsey

Bazaar Season in Mid-Michigan Begins!

The other day the Bay City Times published its annual bazaar guide. I’m not sure how it is in other parts of the country, but bazaars are a tradition in Mid-Michigan. Fall bazaars in Mid-Michigan include homemade baked goods, handcrafted goods, and lots more. When I come across the online version of the guide, I’ll post it here. Most are held in churches, community centers, and even schools. Due to the fact that most bazaars are held between October and December, it is also a great place to find unique Christmas gifts. Bazaaring is kind of like garage-saling; it is a great way for women to get together and have some fun on the weekends.

Lindsey

Ms. Meghan McCain!

McCain Blogette

This blog is great. Even though it is written and maintained by John McCain’s daughter Meghan (with the help of her brothers and sisters), it really isn’t all that political. It does document her time on the campaign trail and the promotion of her children’s book about her dad. It is a lot of fun. Check it out!

Lindsey

How to Field Dress a Donkey

Priceless, simply priceless. Check it out here.