bethanyhartman's Xanga

Vermont? Who are they kidding?!

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 15:37:19 GMT

According to USA Today, Springfield, Vermont, has been dubbed the hometown Springfield of Bart Simpson and family.

Are voters kidding? I thought a Springfield in the Midwest was a given! Honestly, don't care if it's us, but it's not Vermont!

More at http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/simpsons-contest.htm.

I Laugh at Others

Fri, 06 Jul 2007 14:21:45 GMT

Admittedly I laugh at others. But sometimes you just have to.

So yesterday I was doing business with a hotel in another state. I was looking at their catering menu portion of the contract, and saw this - no lie! - Coffee (regular or decalf).

So is decalf with cream? Cow or no cow? I just burst out laughing aloud at my desk. My boss never asked.

I love the English language, and I'm sorry I laugh at others.

Goals for Authentic Growth

Thu, 21 Jun 2007 15:32:14 GMT

* I will have a passion for excellence.

* I will ask, listen, and hear - to determine the wants, needs, and possibilities of all with whom I come in contact.

* I will provide an example of commitment and integrity.

* I will follow a path of continual empowerment for myself and others.

* I will constantly focus on the strenghts of all with whom I come in contact.

* I will cultivate optimum physical, mental, and spiritual fitness.

* I will lead as I would like to be led.

* I will savour the flavour of each passing moment.

* I will infuse every thought and relationship with faith, hope, love, and gratitude.

Joe D. Batten
From "New Man" magazine

I love this!

CNN Article

Fri, 11 May 2007 09:42:13 GMT

Noor: Let's reclaim Mother's Day for peace

POSTED: 8:52 a.m. EDT, May 11, 2007
Special to CNN

Editor's note: Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan is an international humanitarian activist, a leading voice on issues of world peace and justice, and honorary chair of Rediscover Mother's Day, which celebrates the role of women as peacemakers.

AMMAN, Jordan (CNN) -- In 1982, during a period of dangerous stalemate in the Middle East peace process, I gave a speech at Georgetown University about the critical need for a more engaged and balanced role for the United States in the region.

The newspapers the next day covered my handbag, my rings, and my dress. When asked about the substance of my message, one U.S. Senator said, "It's a great public relations weapon to have an attractive queen."

Twenty-five years later, the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East still reflects some of the most pressing global challenges confronting the contemporary world -- the stagnant Palestinian/Israeli peace process, the increasingly dangerous conflict in Iraq, the escalation of extremism, the debate over emerging democracies -- all point to the need for visionary and transformative leadership. I firmly believe that peace will only come to the region when mothers find their voice and say of the violence, "Enough is enough!"

Mother's Day -- whether it is the U.S. tradition of celebrating mothers on the second Sunday in May, or on the first day of spring, when we observe the holiday in Jordan -- is universally meant to be a tribute to motherhood and the blessings of peace. In fact, in America the holiday was originally called "Mother's Day for Peace." It was proposed over a century ago by Julia Ward Howe, the famous abolitionist and suffragist, after she witnessed first-hand the terrible bloodshed of the Civil War in America and the Franco-Prussian War in Europe. Howe hoped that the powerful maternal desire for security could shape world events, and she called on mothers of the world to unite against war.

Howe's vision and her call to action could not be more relevant today. As a mother, stepmother and grandmother, nothing is more important to me than the safety of my family. I am not alone. Studies show that women's priority, when given either money or opportunity, is the well-being of their families. They invest their time and devote whatever resources they have to reducing poverty and hunger, improving maternal, child and general health and promoting educational opportunity. That is why the position of women is the best marker of a country's development and stability.

Mothers prove every day, all over the world, that peace and security require cooperation and compassion. Having traditionally occupied a paradoxical position at the heart of society but on the fringes of power, women often bring unique strengths, talents, and perspectives to the quest to resolve conflict and establish freedom. They are willing and able to cut across ethnic, religious and tribal barriers, and break through obstacles through peace in order to do what is best for their families.

It is no coincidence, then, that so many of today's leading peacemakers are themselves mothers. All of us must do everything we can to support their efforts. People like Swanee Hunt, who served as the United States Ambassador to Austria and has spent her life advocating for peace and for the inclusion of women in the peace process through her work and by creating Women Waging Peace. Or Trish Malloch Brown, who travels the world advocating for people affected by war and conflict on behalf of Refugees International. Or Lisa Schirch, the director of the nonprofit 3D Security Initiative, who uses development projects like building schools and water wells to disarm conflicts from Lebanon to Ghana.

But the day has come for something more than individual efforts. Millions of mothers from Nablus to New York and from Baghdad to Beersheba must begin to find common cause in peace and work together to give their quiet power a louder voice. We need a movement of what Naila Bolus of Ploughshares Fund calls "global security moms," who can work within their families and communities, and in national and international arenas to temper extremism and to hold their leaders accountable for decisions that escalate the cycle of violence rather than address underlying problems. Such a movement of mothers would be impossible for our leaders to ignore, and would be more powerful than all the tanks and suicide bombers combined.

So from one mother to many others, let us be silent no longer in the face of war and violence. May all mothers and families around the world be blessed with a happy Mother's Day for Peace.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the writer. This is part of an occasional series of commentaries on CNN.com that offers a broad range of perspectives, thoughts and points of view.

Friday, February 23, 2007

Fri, 23 Feb 2007 18:10:26 GMT

I am truly at a loss for words (can't you tell? It's been a while since I've blogged)

It's True

Tue, 30 Jan 2007 16:35:11 GMT

The rumors are true. I have a boyfriend. Dave and I met a week before Christmas. He is terrific. Lessons I've learned:

* Never underestimate the opportunity in a blind date.
* When you think it won't happen, it just might.
* When you are sure you've got your list put together (doesn't every girl have her list?), God just might come along and rewrite it for you. Let Him.
* Asking God for guidance and wisdom is always a good move. Asking others is also good. Know when to listen to your friends, and when to silence those voices so you can really hear from God.

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 17:08:19 GMT

"The greatest tragedy is not death, but life without purpose." - Rick Warren

Lessons from the Life of Gerald Ford

Sat, 06 Jan 2007 12:58:44 GMT

I had an interesting chat with friend Angela today. I haven't seen her in a year and a half and she's visiting town.

We were catching up on what God is doing in our lives and I was telling her about Alicia Chole's book Anonymous: Jesus Hidden Years...and Yours and how it was a good constant reminder to me that where I am in life isn't a forever place. Angela, who I met in the newspaper biz, was talking about Gerald Ford being in the news over the last couple weeks.

"Did you know he never aspired to be president?" she asked. I had no idea. Apparently his life goal was to be Speaker of the House. Evidently he "accidentally" made it to the vice presidency and by default followed Nixon in the U.S. presidency. For a year and a half he spent time in the highest position of the country, having had no aspirations to be there.

Now while I must research the rest of his story, I am faced with the obvious immediate application to my own life. I've already noticed the discrepancies between where I thought I was going and where I've ended up on numerous occasions in my life. I never wanted to work at HQ and I did. I never wanted to be a teacher and I was. I never thought I'd land in Springfield again or be making plans to stay longer, and I am. I am systematically detaching myself from what I always thought my life would look like and resting in what it's actually turning out to be. The cool thing is that I actually like what my life is turning out to be, even though it's looking different from what I thought I always wanted.

I've Caught the Travel Bug

Wed, 03 Jan 2007 17:43:52 GMT

Today I bought my ticket to see Esther in the UK in February. I can't wait!!!!

Resolutions

Tue, 02 Jan 2007 09:53:01 GMT

So earlier in the year (in the pre-roommate season of life) I blogged about my then-boss who was my competition for reading. I topped off at about 45 books read this year. He walked in this morning gloating over his record 101 books, totaling over 24,000 pages (yes, he even counted pages!) for the year. I felt like a slacker. Guess I shoulda counted those articles for school.

Resolved this year to read an average of a book a week. Maybe I can top off next year at 52.