From an Obsessive Optimist in the Eye of A Hurricane.

Texas “Dream Act” is pure Texas Two Step

mommemau2 — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 03:31:51 +0000

I love Texas. It is my adopted state. I came to live here in 1988 and except for a couple of years in Saltillo, Coahuila Mexico and another 5 years in the great midwest, I have lived in Texas. My husband’ s family were German immigrants to Texas in 1860. Both of my children were born in Texas. 26 years I lived in San Antonio, TX. I am passionately conservative and very conflicted about the illegal immigration issue. This conflict has now surfaced in the run for the GOP presidential nominee, with the entry of our Governor, Rick Perry.

I voted for our Governor, Rick Perry and despite his dismal, really dismal debate performance, I believe he would make a good president. His pragmatic approval of instate tuition for students who had been schooled for three years or more by the state of Texas, regardless of the students legal status is example of how our Governor sides with common sense. Common sense is a rare thing in politics. These children did not sneak over the border by themselves and attend school, just to receive the instate tuition. Prior to the intense documentation, many, many illegal children, who had gone to school in Texas, received instate tuition as a matter of course. Unlike the President’s version, which is all encompassing and gives free tuition to illegal immigrants to age 100?, this is strictly for young adults who have spent 3 or more years in the Texas school systems prior to entering college.

I have many friends who are illegal immigrants, from Mexico. I lived in Mexico and speak Spanish. Most people in South Texas have friends, or at least acquaintances that are illegal. In San Antonio, where the population is over 70% hispanic, it is more common to hear Spanish than English spoken, in many areas of town. This is the experience from which this law germinates.

In the past, in South Texas, most immigrants from Mexico were illegal. Wading across the border for better opportunities was the normal. No one even considered it breaking the law. The father of a very good friend walked across to pick crops, then married an Irish girl who was picking crops. They crossed back and forth between Mexico and America. My friend was born at home. Which home was never clear. At six, she was enrolled in a Texas Public School, and that, back in 1952 made her an American.

This is our conflict with illegal immigration, in Texas. A Texan, born in Texas not only has friends and acquaintances that are illegal immigrants but has a good chance of having an illegal immigrant or two as a grandmother, grandfather, mother or father. Our Governor was born in a small town in South Texas. This is his reality. This makes his Texas “Dream Act” both pragmatic and common sense.

The second step of the Texas Two Step, is neither our Governor, or most Texas citizens, legal or illegal want illegal immigration to continue. We all want it stopped. None of my illegal friends or acquaintances want to import the violence in Mexico, which they are very familiar with, here to Texas or the United States. This is also the position of our Governor.

Our Governor has done a better job of protecting Texas from current illegal immigration than any other Governor on the Mexico border. I attribute this to 4 things. The Texas Rangers (not the baseball team!). Texas gun laws, our citizens are armed. Texas extradition law, we will not send murderers back to Mexico, so they can buy their way out of jail and Texas justice, if you murder in Texas, you die.

Our Governor has upset some conservatives by saying he does not support a border fence. Our Governor again is pragmatic and full of common sense. He says,

“No, I don’t support a fence on the border,” The fact is, it’s 1,200 miles from Brownsville to El Paso. Two things: How long you think it would take to build that? And then if you build a 30-foot wall from El Paso to Brownsville, the 35-foot ladder business gets real good.

This is a direct quote from a speech in New Hampshire on September 4, 2011. Pragmatic and common sense. We need to secure the border now. The fence will take time to build. Now we need boots on the ground. Our Governor has requested National Guard troops on our borders many times.

Our Governor’s position on sanctuary cities has incensed many latino activists. In June 2011 he called a special session of the Texas legislature and said,

“Texas owes it to the brave law enforcement officials, who put their lives on the line every day to protect our families and communities, to give them the discretion they need to adequately do their jobs,Abolishing sanctuary cities in Texas, using the federal Secure Communities program and ensuring that only individuals who are here legally can obtain a valid Texas driver’s license sends a clear message that Texas will not turn a blind eye to those breaking our laws.”

Again, pragmatic and common sense. This protects our law enforcement officers, so they can do their job. The latino activists say that our Governor Rick Perry and Texas cannot have it both ways, we cannot support educating our students and eliminating sanctuary cities. Texans and our Governor say, “Yes we can, yes we can, because in Texas we are pragmatic and have common sense.

This is the Texas Two Step. We were part of Mexico. We obtained our own independence. We choose to be part of the United States. Mexican immigration is an important part of our state and personal history. Not to educate our students, our students, would be to deny them the opportunity extended to ourselves. No Texan wants terrorists or the Mexican Cartel crossing our borders. Texans want our borders protected, now. Texans, like our Governor are pragmatic and full of common sense.

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In Search of Symmetry – Day 179 Breast Reconstruction & A Purple Nipple Tattoo

mommemau2 — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 22:04:22 +0000

Two weeks ago I went to see Dr. Saint-Cyr, who is still my hero! He marked me up with his famous colored markers in preparation for the third stage of my breast reconstruction. The next morning my daughter and I went to the gym. As we were getting dressed, a woman looked over and said, “That is an interesting tattoo!” I looked down and saw all the pink, green and black squiggles and arrows and a purple nipple, drawn right in the middle. That is what I have always wanted, a PURPLE NIPPLE TATTOO!

The surgery was Tuesday, and I have a nipple. It is covered in bandages, so I do not know yet what color it is. I am told it will be flesh colored, and after it is completely healed up, Dr. Saint-Cyr will tattoo it. Not PURPLE! I do have a lot of purple bruises around the sites where my fat was extracted and then more bruises where the fat was placed in and around the new breast. I am going to be symmetrical.

This symmetry business has been more work than I bargained for. I am happy that I choose symmetry and I am very happy it is almost over. My plan was to post every day of the breast reconstruction process, for a complete picture of the process from one person’s point of view. The best laid plans go awry.

My first interruption was the flood in my bedroom and master bathroom. In order to repair the wet hardwood floors in the master bedroom, we had to move out of the house for 10 days. While staying in the hotel, I developed a hematoma in the radiated skin above the breast reconstruction and had to be hospitalized for a week. The day after I came home from the hospital, we moved back into our house. The hardwood floor was great, but our master bath had concrete floors and water damage to walls, wallpaper and the bathroom vanity.

I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me ,I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency. Phillippians 4:13 Amplified

As soon as I could stand up, a friend came to help me put the bathroom back together, again. When he pulled the bathroom vanity out, the shower caved in. It seemed to get much, much worse, before it got better! All’s well that ends well – we finished up the bathroom, just in time for my second surgery. This is the clean up phase, where Dr. Saint-Cyr reshaped the lump of flesh into a breast shape and eliminated some of the large scar tissue from the first surgery. It was an out-patient surgery and my recovery time was 3 weeks, instead of 6 weeks.

http://www.kodakgallery.com/video/play.jsp?videoId=226910442214&key=4395012&sourceId=969909816903&cm_mmc=Share-_-Video-_-shareCopyLink-_-Sharee-_-View

Between the flood, the master bathroom remodel, and two surgeries, this has been a very busy summer. Gary is also working in San Antonio now, and living with my sister! In a very brotherly sort of way. He and she are so busy, she says she has seen him 15 minutes in the 3 weeks they have been “living together.” This week Gary was here, he worked out of Dallas and from home. He is leaving this afternoon and I will miss him very much.

Full of Hands

mommemau2 — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 17:45:54 +0000

When my daughter was small and I would want to take her hand while crossing the parking lot or street, she would clasp her two hands tightly together and say, “ I can’t Mom, I am FULL of hands!” When Ananias was approached by the Holy Spirit to go and lay his hands on Saul, it seems he had the same reaction. Acts 9:13-14 in The Message says, “Ananias protested, “Master, you can’t be serious. Everybody’s talking about this man and the terrible things he’s been doing, his reign of terror against your people in Jerusalem! And now he’s shown up here with papers from the Chief Priest that give him license to do the same to us.”

There are many, many amazing things about Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus. The one amazing thing I want to focus on is that God asked Ananias to assist with his hands. Ananias laid his hands on Saul and Saul became Paul and regained his sight.

Saul had already met with Jesus. Jesus had told him, “Now you have met me, but this is not complete. I will tell you later what to do.” Saul is blind, not eating or drinking, his whole world turned upside down. The Jesus Saul had determined in his own mind to be an imposter, had spoken to him from beyond the grave. Instead of sight, Saul had received blindness.

Ananias is not mentioned anywhere else in scripture. Ananias was not an apostle, although early church historians indicated that he might have been one of the 70 disciples mentioned in Luke 10. God asked Ananias to use his hands, and Ananias did. In Acts 9:17-19, The Message, “So Ananias went and found the house, placed his hands on blind Saul, and said, “Brother Saul, the Master sent me, the same Jesus you saw on your way here. He sent me so you could see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” No sooner were the words out of his mouth than something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes—he could see again! He got to his feet, was baptized, and sat down with them to a hearty meal.”

Ananias, a simple disciple, mentioned no where else in scripture, places his hands on Saul. His hands changed Saul’s life and many other lives, including yours and mine. Saul as Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 4:7, Amplified, “However, we possess this precious treasure [the divine Light of the Gospel] in [frail, human] vessels of earth, that the grandeur and exceeding greatness of the power may be shown to be from God and not from ourselves.”

Recap:

We must be a disciple, a follower of Jesus. Acts 9:10
We must hear from the Lord. Acts 9:11
We do not need to be “important” Acts 9:10
We must unclasp our hands. Acts 9:17
God has important work for our hands. Acts 9:18, Matt. 9:37

APPLICATION:

Matthew 9:37 says the harvest is plentiful and the laborers are few. I challenge you to pray this week for work for your hands. The Holy Spirit will speak to you and instruct you in work for your hands to do. You will challenge yourself to unclasp your hands and do the work that the Holy Spirit gives you.

Stick Out Your Tongue

mommemau2 — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 17:21:40 +0000

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me, may be true as long as the words are not your words. Your words , the words you speak every day, every word you speak every day, every single word you speak every day is important. Jesus says in Matthew 12:36 that every idle word will be judged. Every word!

Words create. Genesis 1:3 says light was created by God speaking. Proverbs 18:21, The Message says that our “ Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit—you choose. ” You have the power to create life or death with your words. This is your choice. Every word that you speak is either poison, creating destruction and death in large and small ways in your life – or – fruit, creating joy and life. In “The Message” Mathew 12:36 is paraphrased this way, A good person produces good deeds and words season after season. An evil person is a blight on the orchard. Let me tell you something: Every one of these careless words is going to come back to haunt you. There will be a time of Reckoning. Words are powerful; take them seriously. Words can be your salvation. Words can also be your damnation.”

It is easy to identify reckless, harmful words, It is the careless words, that we feel are harmless and insignificant that trip us up. These idle, negative words poison our environment, creating seeds of destruction and death. When we say to someone we love, “You ALWAYS forget” or “I love you, BUT.” The “always”, the “but” are careless words that will eventually compromise our relationship with our loved one. In James 3:5 he says, “A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything—or destroy it! “ The Message.

In the same passage James says it is easier to tame a horse to the bridle, than to tame our tongue, That does not mean it cannot be done. We all have seen many bridled horses. It just means that it requires intense and consistent effort on our part.

Peter says in 1 Peter 3:10 that for us to enjoy life all of our words should bless! What a thought, if every word we spoke was intentional and intended to bless the person we spoke it to. We began to consistently monitor our words with intense effort. We eliminated idle, careless words.

To recap

Proverbs says life and death are in the tongue.
Jesus says every idle word will be judged.
James says our words can accomplish or destroy anything.
Peter says to enjoy life all of our words should bless.

“Summing up: Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless—that’s your job, to bless. You’ll be a blessing and also get a blessing.

   Whoever wants to embrace life
      and see the day fill up with good,
   Here’s what you do:
      Say nothing evil or hurtful;
   Snub evil and cultivate good;
      run after peace for all you’re worth.
   God looks on all this with approval,
      listening and responding well to what he’s asked; “

1 Peter 3:18-21” The Message

Today I would ask you to begin a 7 day experiment. For the next 7 days say nothing unless it will bless the person you are speaking to and the person you are speaking about. Eliminate all reckless and harmful speech. Eliminate all careless and idle speech. Pray over your words every morning, asking God to help you have productive speech that blesses. Pray over your words every night, ask God to forgive you for any idle, careless words and direct you to ask forgiveness from others, if necessary. See if the atmosphere every where you go does not change. At the end of 7 days, see if you do not want to continue to consistently and intensely train your speech to bless.

In Search of Symmetry – Day 30 Breast Reconstruction

mommemau2 — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 03:01:39 +0000

A friend had an interesting status on Facebook. It was, in honor of the royal wedding on Friday, use your royal wedding guest name. Start with either Lord or Lady. Your first name is one of your grandparents’ names. Your surname will be the name of your pet, double-barreled with the name of a street you’ve lived on. These are the names posted so far:

Lady Thelma Santiago the 6th (that’s me)
Lady Aquilla Coco of Coleridge (this is a very good friend and today is her anniversary – #32)
Lady Rose Marie Stanley of Lincolnshire
Princess Maddie Boone of Harmon
Lady Laura Smokey of Artemis (that is my sister, I remember Artemis Street)

Play along, leave your royal wedding guest name in the comments!

My neighbor volunteered to be my walking buddy today, so I did get my 3 miles in. 3 miles with a walking buddy go fast and by yourself go very, very slow. I want to thank all the people who have come to my assistance, helped me shower, emptied my JP drains, made meals for me and my family. I have been so blessed.

It’s better to have a partner than go it alone.
   Share the work, share the wealth.
   And if one falls down, the other helps,
   But if there’s no one to help, tough!

Two in a bed warm each other.
   Alone, you shiver all night.

By yourself you’re unprotected.
   With a friend you can face the worst.
   Can you round up a third?
   A three-stranded rope isn’t easily snapped. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 The Message

I love this scripture and so does my husband. In fact it is our scripture. We put it on our invitations for our 15th wedding anniversary celebration and we will put it on our invitations for our 40th wedding anniversary celebration. So I thought I would share it with you. I have 3 years and 8 months to plan that celebration!

Relationships are so important. Do not wait for other people to reach out, you reach out. Reach out to someone today. If you are rebuffed, do not take offense, reach out to someone else tomorrow. I pray for you dear reader, to begin deep and lasting relationships.

In Search Of Symmetry Day 29 – Breast Reconstruction

mommemau2 — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 03:24:21 +0000

Do you have a house elf? We have a house elf, he only wears one sock at a time. Sometimes it seems he works overtime, there are so many things that happen at our house that “nobody did.” Like a broken cup, a load of laundry that was washed and not dried! And of course, the “flood”, the waterfall in our wall.

I am down to bare concrete in the master bath, one-third of the master bedroom is bare concrete. Until today I had a big hole in the wall in the master bedroom, where the plumbing leak was repaired. Sheetrock was put up and mudded today. Friday, movers come to move us out of the house so that Monday the wood floors can be repaired and refinished. It will take a week. We will be in a hotel.

I will say of the Lord, He is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God; on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I confidently trust! Psalms 91:2 Amplified

We are blessed, as this is covered by our homeowner’s insurance. This would not be the time I would pick for a major reconstruction project on our house as it coincides with my breast reconstruction. Friday I will see Dr. Saint Cyr and I am hoping he will release me to wear street clothes and drive.

I am praying for you, dear reader,that you know my Lord in a powerful way. You to come to know Him as a refuge and you can fully trust Him, always.

In Search of Symmetry – Day 28 Breast Reconstruction

mommemau2 — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 03:25:57 +0000

Dr. Susan, the PA at my oncologist office called today. She called to let me know that she had called in my thyroid prescription. She asked me how the DIEP flap surgery was and was it what I expected. For just one minute I felt the terror I had felt when I woke up in ICU, in incredible pain and hooked up to many, many machines. I begged everyone in the room to put me back to sleep. The next time I woke up, I was still in ICU, hooked up to many machines, including a catheter, but the pain was bearable. It might have been the morphine pump! I was so thirsty, my nurse would only give me ice chips. I had my own nurse. I was in ICU for 3 days.

Doppler is more than radar, it is also how the baby heartbeats were checked on my new breast. At first the Doppler heartbeats were checked every hour, then every two hours, then every four hours. These heartbeats are checked where the blood supply to the new breast is attached by microsurgery to the chest wall. Dr. Saint Cyr is my hero and my new breast is worth all the trauma.

The picture above is what I traded for a breast! Thank you, Dr. Saint Cyr, it was an excellent trade.

The first surgery is all about getting the stomach tissue to live as a breast. I was presently surprised to see a breast shape. There is no nipple. All the pretty parts come in the second and third surgeries, which are much shorter. These surgeries are outpatient surgeries.

    Even when the way goes through
      Death Valley,
   I’m not afraid
      when you walk at my side.
   Your trusty shepherd’s crook
      makes me feel secure.

You serve me a six-course dinner
      right in front of my enemies.
   You revive my drooping head;
      my cup brims with blessing.

Your beauty and love chase after me
      every day of my life.
   I’m back home in the house of God
      for the rest of my life    Psalm 23:4-6 The Message

When I woke the first time in pain and terror, all I could think of was “put me back to sleep!” The rest of my time in the hospital, six days, I felt perfect peace that my breast would live and everything was OK. I could feel the prayers that were prayed for me, covering me. I pray for you, dear reader, to feel that perfect peace in whatever storm or terror you may encounter. I am praying for you.

In Search Of Symmetry – Day 27 Breast Reconstruction

mommemau2 — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 02:13:36 +0000

Waiting for major surgery to heal is like waiting for paint to dry, it just goes on and on and on. My t-shirt and yoga pant wardrobe is wearing thin. My help is wearing out and meals from friends, family and church have trickled to zero. Fortunately, Gary is off from work this week as he will start his new job on May 2. Friday I go to the doctor, and the doctor has indicated that he will release me to wear clothes and DRIVE.

As for the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good. 2 Thessalonians 3:13 NLT

I did not write anything on Good Friday,Saturday and Easter Sunday. My intentions were to spend this weekend in pray and meditating on the sacrifice that My Lord made for me. My good intentions were mostly sidetracked, but I did go to church on Sunday,in clothes.

I pray that you had a blessed and wonderful Easter week. Although our finances were limited from the two deductibles we paid, the surgery and the flood, we had a blessed and wonderful Easter. My 16 year old daughter requested a kitten for Easter. We found the cutest white kitten on Craigslist.

I love Craigslist, eBay and Facebook. I am always warned about the evils of Craigslist – I sold my ten year old Suzuki in 24 hours for cash on Craigslist. I have purchased and sold on eBay and had 2 bad transactions out of 357. I have been able to make new friends, keep old friends and keep up with my family on Facebook. I think it is all in your attitude?

I am praying for the grace to keep a good attitude as I wait for this surgery to heal. Even my belly button is sewed on! I know it will be worth it, at the end. My dear reader, I pray for you to have grace to keep doing good, also.

In Search Of Symmetry – Day 23 Breast Reconstruction

mommemau2 — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 05:30:13 +0000

My day began with my angel. Angie volunteered to help me when I called the church and asked for help. The church we attend has 1200 to 1400 people in a service, you have to call and ask for help. It is not possible for anyone to just know you are going in for surgery and need help. Angie and I had never met until she came over to help me. She came when I still had 4 JP drains. She emptied my JP drains, and helped me shower. She is a blessing and has blessed me tremendously. Now I have no JP drains and I shower myself. Together we walked my 3 miles today, then we ate lunch, had coffee at Starbucks and she drove me to the lab to have my blood drawn for my thyroid test.

Gary worked his last night shift. In September last year, he was asked to work the night shift. My husband is not a night person. He is an early morning person. Sleeping during the day is very difficult for him. My bed never got made up. This was very difficult for me! Prior to my surgery, on the weekends the girls and I would go shopping, go to the park or to the movies so Gary could sleep. Even little noises would wake him up. May 2 he begins his new job and although it will involve some travel away from home, it will be a day job. Prayers are answered!

Transition is happening. Two days in a row I went to places, beside the doctor. Gary leaves the night shift. God is good all the time, and his mercies never fail. If you, dear reader are waiting for something to happen, do not despair, God hears your prayer. I am agreeing with you, that it will happen. Sometimes the wait is to prepare our heart for the blessing God has for us. Sometimes we do not know why we wait. God is faithful. Do not despair.

And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint. Galatians 6:9 Amplified

I also pray for all the fathers working the night shift. Today I read a post by a young mother whose husband is working the night shift and she expressed my sentiments exactly. You can read the post here, http://tumbledweeds.wordpress.com/2011/04/21/holding-pattern/

In Search Of Symmetry – Day 22 Breast Reconstruction

mommemau2 — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 05:11:32 +0000

I wore clothes today! And make-up and earrings. I went to the grocery store with Gary and visited my neighbors. This is the first time I have been out, except to go to the doctor since my surgery. Getting dressed and wearing make-up cheered me up and I began to really feel there might be an end to this at some point.

My hair has grown out from the chemo to about three inches all over my head. It is still thin, cottony and grey, but with a little mousse and blow drying I can coax an actual hair style out of it. Many times I feel silly about being so vain. It is much easier not to worry about what you look like, when you do not have to put any effort into it.

  You who sit down in the High God’s presence, spend the night in Shaddai’s shadow,
   Say this: “God, you’re my refuge.
      I trust in you and I’m safe!”
   That’s right—he rescues you from hidden traps,
      shields you from deadly hazards.
   His huge outstretched arms protect you—
      under them you’re perfectly safe;
      his arms fend off all harm.
   Fear nothing—not wild wolves in the night,
      not flying arrows in the day,
   Not disease that prowls through the darkness,
      not disaster that erupts at high noon.
   Even though others succumb all around,
      drop like flies right and left,
      no harm will even graze you. Psalm 91:1-4

A phone call can change everything. I received a phone call today, and my entire flood situation was resolved. It is much easier to rejoice when the prayer is answered than when you are waiting on the answer. Focusing on blessings changed my situation and it will change yours. If you can change your focus from the problem to your blessings, your situation will change. Many times it takes longer than 24 hours. I praise the Lord that my situation was resolved in such a short time frame.