Earth Day 2007

Here's a small photo spread as to how I celebrated Earth Day 2007.

The photo to the right is the final result of my efforts. But let's take a step back and start more toward the beginning.

As can be seen by the pictures below that a friend took while I was celebrating Earth Day, I'm not afraid of hard work and I enjoy getting my hands dirty.


Planting new shrubs in front of my home gives me a sense of pride about where I live, spruces up the community, and helps the environment. The few dollars that it cost me are well worth this effort, and will provide benefits for years to come. Quite a return on investment, wouldn't you agree?



Here I'm digging a hole in the ground for a new addition to the landscaping in front of my home in Stonegate:


Here you can see me pruning and cleaning up the new additions to my front yard flora:












All of the plants and shrubs that you see in these pictures are new:


the results of my hard work have paid off beautifully, wouldn't you agree?

An Apt Analogy on Illegal Immigration

Someone sent this to me via e-mail and I thought I'd share it with you. I find it a very apropos analogy in describing how we in the United States have been dealing with illegal immigration:

A lady wrote the best letter in the editorials in ages!!! It explains things better than all the baloney you hear on TV.

Her point:

Recently large demonstrations have taken place across the country protesting the fact that Congress is finally addressing the issue of illegal immigration.

Certain people are angry that the US

• might protect its own borders,
• might make it harder to sneak into this country and,
• once here, to stay indefinitely.

Let me see if I correctly understand the thinking behind these protests:

Let's say I break into your house.

Let's say that when you discover me in your house, you insist that I leave.

But I say, "I've made all the beds and washed the dishes and did the laundry and swept the floors."

I've done all the things that you don't like to do.

I'm hard-working and honest (except for when I broke into your house).

According to the protesters,

• You are Required to let me stay in your house
• You are Required to add me to your family's insurance plan
• You are Required to Educate my kids
• You are Required to Provide other benefits to me and to my family
• (my husband will do all of your yard work because he is also hard-working and honest, except for that breaking in part).

If you try to call the police or force me out, I will call my friends, who will picket your house, carrying signs that proclaim it is my right to be there.

It's only fair, after all, because you have a nicer house than I do, and
I'm just trying to better myself.

I'm a hard-working and honest person, except for, well, you know, I did break into your house.

And what a deal it is for me!!!

I live in your house, contributing only a fraction of the cost of my keep, and there is nothing you can do about it without being accused of cold, uncaring, selfish, prejudiced, and bigoted behavior.

Oh yeah, and I demand that you learn my language so that you can communicate with me.