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Posted on 03/04/2005 12:06:02 AM PST by Mama_Bear
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 1) Click on the graphic to open the Calendar. |
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Now that I can do. :-)
Nan says that It's_me_K.E.T. won't be able to be here until tonight, but I know all these messages of support will be a comfort to her. Thank you, tuliptree.
I don't have It's_Me_K.E.T. on my ping list, would you like to be added?
Happy TGIF, Sis. I didn't have her on my ping list either, so I went ahead and added her. Nan encouraged her to sign up last January, I think, when Brian went into bootcamp, but I didn't think to add her to the list then.
That would be wonderful!!! Remember, our annual FR picnic in Fresno is on the second Saturday in September. :-)
Irish Blessings
Wherever you go and
whatever you do,
May the luck of the Irish
Be there with you!
May your glass be ever full
May the roof over your head
be always strong
And may you be in heaven
Half an hour before
The devil knows you're dead.
May your thoughts be as glad as the shamrock
May your heart be as light as a song
May each day bring you bright happy hours
That stay with you all year long.
May the lilt of Irish laughter
Lighten every load
May the mist of Irish magic
Shorten every road
May you taste the sweetest pleasures
That fortune e're bestowed
And may all your friends remember
All the favors you are owed!
May your troubles be less
And your blessings be more
And nothing but happiness
Come through your door!
May the Good Lord take a liking to you...
But not too soon!
Love those Irish blessings! Here's one I came across recently...
May those who love you, love you;
And for those who don't love you,
May God turn their hearts;
And if He can't turn their hearts,
May He turn their ankles,
So you will know them by their limping!
LOL
Good one.
MB, I have to go out for a dinner. I hope Kat will be here soon. Imagine she is preparing supper for her family. Later.
Thank you all for your Prayers. You all are wonderful people. I know that each of you will remember Brian in your daily Prayers.
Nan, no I can't believe that picture of us. I know that I am 45 pounds lighter now.
"I am sending out a request to our prayer warriors and military supporters;
WVNan told me that her friend's son is flying out to Kuwait today."
Thank You, Brian for serving our great country.
Knowing how wonderful you have been to Nan, we are delighted you lurk and occasionally post here at The Finest.
Special prayers for you and all your family will be given as well, in the Name of His Son, Jesus Christ -- Amen.
.(I assure you, those were ever so strongly felt the day in Feruary 1990 when I met him here, campaigning for the Republican nomination for the Presidency.)
My Meeting with President Bush
He's not what I had hoped...
This is from a man, Bruce Vincent, from Montana who received an award from the President. He writes:
The moment with the President in the Oval Office was incredible. I want to protect the memory because it was an intensely private moment between two men. At the same time I'd like to share it on a broader scale because I'd like others to know what I know about the man sitting at the desk in the Oval Office.
Nominated by the Forest Service for the first ever Preserve America President's Award was our cultural exchange program Provider PalsT and our restoration of an abandoned CCC built Forest Service ranger station (Raven Ranger Station) for use as a learning center for students from throughout the nation that are now engaged in our cultural exchange. .
The award was given at a White House ceremony on May 3. Guests at the East Room ceremony (planned in the Rose Garden but it rained) included Secretary of Interior Gorton, Secretary of Agriculture Venneman, Undersecretary Mark Rey, Chief Bosworth, President's Advisory Council for Preserve America, and others. The East Wing was closed to the public for the event and those who attended enjoyed brunch and live chamber music. .
Provider PalsT was able to bring members of our board of directors, staff from our partner Communities for a Great Northwest, our Kootenai Forest Supervisor and Forest Archaeologist, and two officials from our major sponsor Ford Motor Company. Thankfully, I was also able to bring PJ and all four children. In the East Room, Secretaries Venneman and Gorton spoke as did First Lady Bush and Preserve America's Chairman John Nau.. .
Stepping into the Oval Office, each of us was introduced to the President and Mrs. Bush. We shook hands and participated in small talk. When the President was told that we were from Libby, Montana, I reminded him that Marc Racicot is our native son and the President offered his warm thoughts about Governor Racicot. .
I have to tell you, I was blown away by two things upon entering the office. First, the Oval Office sense of 'place' is unreal. The President later shared a story of Russian President Putin entering the room prepared to tackle the President in a tough negotiation and upon entering the atheist muttered his first words to the President and they were "Oh, my God." I concurred. I could feel the history in my bones. Second, the man that inhabits the office engaged me with a firm handshake and a look that can only be described as penetrating. Warm, alive, fully engaged, disarmingly penetrating. .
I was admittedly concerned about meeting the man. I think all of us have an inner hope that the most powerful man in our country is worthy of the responsibility and authority that we bestow upon them through our vote. I admit that part of me was afraid that I would be let down by the moment - that the person and the place could not meet the lofty expectations of my fantasy world. This says nothing about my esteem for President Bush but just my practical realization that reality may not match my 'dream.' Once inside the office, President Bush got right down to business and, standing in front of his desk, handed out the awards one at a time while posing for photos with the winners and Mrs. Bush. .
With the mission accomplished, the President and Mrs. Bush relaxed and initiated a lengthy, informal conversation about a number of things with our entire small group. He and the First Lady talked about such things as the rug in the office. It is traditionally designed by the First Lady to make a statement about the President, and Mrs. Bush chose a brilliant yellow sunburst pattern to reflect 'hope.' President Bush talked about the absolute need to believe that with hard work and faith in God there is every reason to start each day in the Oval Office with hope. .
He and the First Lady were asked about the impact of the Presidency on their marriage and, with an arm casually wrapped around Laura, he said that he thought the place may be hard on weak marriages but that it had the ability to make strong marriages even stronger and that he was blessed with a strong one. .
When asked what the biggest challenge of the Presidency was, he talked about the daily frustration of partisan politics. 'This from a politician,' he said. He said that when he was elected he promised that he would do in DC what he had done in Texas and that was build alliances and coalitions that bridged party lines in order to move the nation forward. He had quickly learned that there are those in the nation's capital that would rather see the nation dismantled than work together to achieve a common good. That, he said is a bitter and continuing disappointment. .
The President talked about the artwork and other items of interest in the room. For instance the desk he uses is the one that was given to the U.S. by Queen Victoria and used by FDR and JFK. In fact FDR had a front panel added to the desk to cover the mid section because FDR did not want the country to know he was in a wheelchair. President Bush laughed and said, "My how things have changed, FDR hid a wheelchair and if I eat a pretzel and get a tingle in my arm it's front page news around the globe." That little desk faux front is hinged by the way, and is the door that we all have seen John-John sticking his head from behind in the famous photo of JFK at work. .
The President also noted that much of the artwork in the office is from Texas or about Texas. He said that it made sense for him to have it in his office because Texas is part of who he is. He talked about family and place and faith helping to build the person you end up being and noted that the Oval Office reflected who he is. He noted that it would be a mistake to come to the Oval Office and entertain a mission to 'find yourself.' He said that with all of the pressures and responsibilities that go with the job, you'd best know who you are when you put your nameplate on the desk in the Oval Office. He said he knows who he is and now America has had four years to learn about who he is. If they like what they see, he may have another four years. If not, then he may be going back to Texas. .
After about 30 or 35 minutes, it was time to go. By then we were all relaxed and I felt as if I had just had an excellent visit with a friend. The President and First Lady made one more pass down the line of awardees, shaking hands and offering congratulations. When the President shook my hand I said, "Thank you Mr. President and God bless you and your family." .
He was already in motion to the next person in line, but he stopped abruptly, turned fully back to me, gave me a piercing look, renewed the vigor of his handshake and said, "Thank you - and God bless you and yours as well." .
On our way out of the office we were to leave by the glass doors on the west side of the office. I was the last person in the exit line. As I shook his hand one final time, President Bush said, "I'll be sure to tell Marc hello and give him your regards." I then did something that surprised even me. .
I said to him, "Mr. President, I know you are a busy man and your time is precious. I also know you to be a man of strong faith and have a favor to ask you." As he shook my hand he looked me in the eye and said, "Just name it." .
I told him that my step-Mom was at that moment in a hospital in Kalispell, Montana, having a tumor removed from her skull and it would mean a great deal to me if he would consider adding her to his prayers that day. .
He grabbed me by the arm and took me back toward his desk as he said, "So that's it. I could tell that something is weighing heavy on your heart today. I could see it in your eyes. This explains it." From the top drawer of his desk he retrieved a pen and a note card with his seal on it and asked, "How do you spell her name?" He then jotted a note to her while discussing the importance of family and the strength of prayer. .
When he handed me the card, he asked about the surgery and the prognosis. I told him we were hoping that it is not a recurrence of an earlier cancer and that if it is they can get it all with this surgery. He said, "If it's okay with you, we'll take care of the prayer right now. Would you pray with me?" I told him yes and he turned to the staff that remained in the office and hand motioned the folks to step back or leave. .
He said, "Bruce and I would like some private time for a prayer." As they left he turned back to me and took my hands in his. I was prepared to do a traditional prayer stance - standing with each other with heads bowed. .
Instead, he reached for my head with his right hand and pulling gently forward, he placed my head on his shoulder. With his left arm on my mid back, he pulled me to him in a prayerful embrace. He started to pray softly. I started to cry. He continued his prayer for Loretta and for God's perfect will to be done. I cried some more. My body shook a bit as I cried and he just held tighter. He closed by asking God's blessing on Loretta and the family during the coming months. .
I stepped away from our embrace, wiped my eyes, swiped at the tears I'd left on his shoulder, and looked into the eyes of our President. I thanked him as best I could and told him that me and my family would continue praying for he and his. .
As I write this account down and reflect upon what it means, I have to tell you that all I really know is that his simple act left me humbled and believing. I so hoped that the man I thought him to be was the man that he is. I know that our nation needs a man such as this in the Oval Office. .
George W. Bush is the real deal. I've read Internet stories about the President praying with troops in hospitals and other such uplifting accounts. Each time I read them I hope them to be true and not an Internet perpetuated myth. This one, I know to be true. I was there. He is real. He has a pile of incredible stuff on his plate each day - and yet he is tuned in so well to the here and now that he 'sensed' something heavy on my heart. He took time out of his life to care, to share, and to seek God's blessing for my family in a simple man-to-man, father-to-father, son-to-son, husband-to-husband, Christian-to-Christian prayerful embrace. .
He's not what I had hoped he would be. He is, in fact, so very, very much more.
How blessed we are as a nation to have such leadership and the examples he sets!
Thanks!
Hay, that's not me.. that's the Yeti who mugged me!
Hold on a second, I gotta get my wallet back from that Yeti..
*Goes all Tanya Harding on the Yeti*
All your Yeti R Belong to me..:((
Back off, Bucko --
Can ya get him to gimme back my wallet?
*chuckle*
Sorry -- he was last seen heading for Toys R Us to spend the contents,
driving with your license, of course - in your vehicle you forgot to lock..:))
**chuckle**
Hi LadyX, a very special day for you in 1990, lucky you :-)
Great story, I remember reading about Bruce Vincent, here is a photo. Thanks for sharing.
Accepting the award were Mr. Bruce Vincent, Executive
Director, ProviderPals; and Mr. Bob Castaneda,
Forest Supervisor, United States Department of Agriculture.
Feruary....hope TMan isn't around ;-)
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