My Name is America...Don't Tread on Me

Armed Forces Day was celebrated over the weekend and Memorial Day is fast approaching. I think we should take a moment every day to thank those who keep us safe and to remember why this country is worth defending and protecting from all enemies foreign and domestic.  A friend of mine just shared this with me and I thought this song was worth sharing with you. 

If you like what you hear and you live in Florida, you might want to check out Todd Allen Herendeen's upcoming events.  

http://www.tentrevivalofamerica.org/index.html

A Unique Gift!

Father's Day is June 16th.  

Looking for something unique to give your dad or grandfather this year?  How about a personalized autographed copy of 

My Hero, My Ding - A Memoir of a Girl and Her Grandfather!  

Here is what others have said -

"This is a touching memoir that is engaging, enlightening, and a testimony to the lifetime influence that grandparents can have on their grandchildren. America needs more books like this --- in families, in churches, and in schools."  Tom McQueen, Author

"My Hero, My Ding is a sweet memoir of the precious relationship between Lisa and her grandfather. It is filled with priceless memories of the special times they shared together. Lisa and her "Ding" had a special bond that could only come from the endless hours they invested in one another. Sometimes, I even wondered...were they ever apart?

Reading through Lisa's memoir brought back warm memories of my own grandparents; the time, energy, and love they chose to invest in me. In fact, in several ways, "Ding" reminded me of my dear Grandpa Mac. They both shared such childlike qualities.

My Hero, My Ding is a good read, and I especially recommend it to all grandparents. Let this book shed light on the beauty that a relationship between a grandparent and a grandchild can bring."
Lisa Suggs Author of -Choices

"My Hero, My Ding" by Lisa A. Tortorello, a memoir of a Girl and her Grandfather. In this heart warming, endearing and life-touching story this Author shares her most treasured memories - times with her Grandfather. Although he became a jewelry maker and jewelry store owner, he gave her a rare gem, time and love, more precious than any of the jewels he had made. She found a rare treasure in their relationship - a treasure that would last a lifetime. These cherished memories etched a portrait in her life of not just a grandfather, but a hero. He left behind for her a treasure worth far more than gold. This book will touch your heart and reflect to other families to not let disagreements weigh you down, but perhaps be lifted by the spirit of love, that we can all possibly be the "hero" in the lives of those we love."  
Ren. R. Royal, Author

Ordering is easy...and shipping is only $1.00 per book.

Just click on the link at the side panel of this blog.  Be sure to let me know the special message you want included!

Problems or questions?  Email me at lisatortsbook@ameritech.net

Apparently $$$ Does Grow On Trees

I would love to know where the perpetual money tree is in the city of Chicago.  

Oh, that's right...it's the taxpayers!

This did not get much attention in the media, but I happened to catch a blurb on Friday.  An additional ONE MILLION DOLLARS from the 2013 budget is going to be spent on CPS children to get FREE eyeglasses. First of all, whose budget?  It did not say in the article.  If it is CPS's budget (which I doubt),  they obviously do not have an extra million dollars to toss around seeing as how they can't even balance their budget. If it's the city's budget (which I suspect) there is definitely no extra money for FREE eyeglasses.  Second of all, if there is any superfluous money in any budget it needs to be put towards the pensions that both the Board of Education and City of Chicago failed to pay for the last umpteen years causing the current "pension crisis" they flaunt in our faces.

Last but not least...I wish the news would get it right. No child is getting FREE anything...be it eyeglasses, breakfast, lunch, etc.  The taxpayers are paying through the nose for this while parents have less and less responsibility for their own children.  

Specifically on the eyeglass issue, the waste and abuse is appalling.  In many cases, it's the same children getting FREE glasses season after season.  I would say year after year, but sometimes there are two or three "eyeglass  field trips" in one school year.  I call them field trips because they miss a day of instruction to do this as well.  It's not even as if parents get a voucher and have to take their children to an eye doctor themselves.  No, that would be expecting too much now, wouldn't it?

And, what happens when a child breaks their FREE glasses???  Most of the time, they sit in class squinting  until the next round of FREE comes along.

Eventually, the people of this country will rue the day for allowing the government to be in charge of all aspects of their lives.

Click HERE for original story

Happy Mother's Day!

"God couldn't be everywhere and therefore he made mothers!"   

Rudyard Kipling

Only in Amerika

As the news about 15 year old girls being able to purchase the morning-after pills without a prescription and without parental permission continues to spread across media outlets, my blood pressure continues to rise.

Recently I had a very bad sinus infection that required a doctor's visit and lots of medication.  Most of the medication was prescription, but one of them wasn't.  Now a little over a month later, it seems my sinuses just don't want to give up, so I figured I would start off with the NON-prescription, OVER THE COUNTER medication that my doctor recommended.  I don't know why, but the "over the counter" label on Claritin-D made me think I can actually purchase the medication, well, OVER THE COUNTER.

But, as I would soon find out after leaving early for work and going to two different pharmacies...

1) You can only buy Claritin D over the counter when handed to you over the counter by a pharmacist and then he needs a Driver's License to copy down all of your personal information lest I be a meth-head or something. (Voting, in this country, should be such a protected right, as my right to purchase cold medicine!)

2) Pharmacists don't start their day before me, so I had to leave work during my break to make a third trip for my NON-prescription, OVER THE COUNTER drugs.

Let's compare:

Me:  of legal age, does not require a guardian, holds a job, responsible, and an ADULT

15 year old:  under age, requires a legal guardian, may have a part-time job, responsible? (not if she is having sex), a CHILD

So I have to jump through hoops, while the child gets to go down the aisle where the condoms and lubricants are and purchase a morning-after pill.

I've heard again and again that before the actual purchase, the child will have to prove she is 15 years of age...with what??? She doesn't have a driver's license or a voter registration card because she is TOO YOUNG.

I almost threw out my receipt from my Claritin-D, but as I went to crumple it up I noticed yet another Federal Law - It is written in all CAPS on the receipt. so it must be important.

FEDERAL LAW LIMITS THE SALE OF PSEUDOEPHEDRINE PRODUCTS TO NO MORE THAN 3.6 GRAMS PER PERSON PER DAY AND LIMITS AN INDIVIDUAL'S PURCHASE TO 9 GRAMS OR LESS PER 30 DAY PERIOD.  SOME STATES ARE MORE RESTRICTIVE.

Do you think the restrictions on the morning-after pill will even come close?

My father-in-law, a WWII veteran, always said...we will lose this country without a single shot being fired. Unfortunately, his words ring truer and truer each day.

Back to Florida...

at least in my mind.

While in Florida, I must say that the temperatures were cool but the sky was clear.  

The parks were crowded but boy were they clean.  

After many years of spending more money than he had, Walt Disney certainly found the pulse of the people.

What started as this...

ended up as this...

"We believe in our idea: a family park where parents and children could have fun - together." Walt Disney

Me - just having some fun!

My husband, Charlie and I, enjoying the scenery!

While we did take in the tourists' sights like Epcot

and Hollywood Studios

our main attraction was still meeting up with our friends from England.

Jane had only experienced Red Lobster 13 years ago when she and her husband, Tom, were in Chicago visiting us.  There are no Red Lobster's in England, so as part of our salute to American food that is where we went for dinner on our second night together.

We all had a wonderful time and ate way too much.  The only ones that  had room for dessert... you could probably guess...were the kids.

Well, almost...Tom couldn't let the Fraser and Jess eat all of that without at least taking a bite or two or three.

On our final night in Orlando we went to Disney's Market Place.

The day was picture perfect, and we decided to eat at Planet Hollywood!

We visited while waiting for our table,

and then decided to order all-American burgers

(except for Fraser who just loved his spaghetti and meatballs).

Tom out-did us this time ordering (and eating)  the double 1/2 pound burger.  

Charlie and I are really lucky that my childhood pen-pal is still such a great friend along with her family some 32 years after my first awkward letter was written.