Best. Cauliflower. Ever.

Yeah, I know.  Unbelievable.  But in continuing to blog about whatever the heck I'm thinking about, I'm sharing another recipe.  We had a fantastic fall menu last night:  pork roast, sweet potatoes, apple pie (that recipe is also on this blog!).  But the best part of dinner was the roasted cauliflower.  This recipe is several years old, torn out of the paper (AJC) way back when we still got the paper.  Here it is:

A head of cauliflower, rinsed
1/4 c. golden raisins
4 garlic cloves
2-3 T olive oil
2-3 whole thyme sprigs (which I usually forget; they aren't critical)
1/4 c. panko crumbs
2 t butter

(Oven at 400.) Cover the raisins in hot tap water and let them sit while you do the other things.  Core the cauliflower and separate it into small flowerets.  You want the cauliflower to be fairly uniform in size.  Crush the garlic and remove the papery husks.

Place the cauliflower and garlic, along with pine nuts, in a 9 x 13 pyrex dish.  Drizzle with olive oil and stir.  Spread it back out, add thyme sprigs, and place in oven.  Roast for about 10 minutes, give the mixture a stir, and pop back in the oven for 10 more minutes.  Add oil if it looks dry.  Stir again, and roast for 5-10 more minutes.  The cauliflower will start to look caramelized around the edges.  Remove the pan from the oven, remove thyme sprigs and garlic cloves, and turn the oven up to broil.  Add the raisins and give things another stir.  Then push it all together so it is touching but still pretty much in a single layer.  Sprinkle with an even layer of panko crumbs and then dot with butter.  Broil for about 2 minutes, about 6 inches from the heating element.

YUM.  Just had some leftovers for lunch.  Enjoy!

Open to Buy

Part of the idea of my blog is to give a view from behind the counter at my shop.  Here goes...

Did you know it's possible for a business to grow itself out of business?  Actually it is, and there's a formula in one of my corporate finance books around here.  The idea is that, in funding your future activity with current dollars, your future sales are so big that you end up going bankrupt even as you have amazing cashflow.

That's not quite my problem, but I've been thinking about that as I deal with my current issue.  In a retail shop, the only source of revenue is the inventory.  You can't make money if it isn't in the shop to sell, flat out.  My method of buying was, I thought, kind of careful, replacing only what I liked as it sold, increasing inventory judiciously.  But I didn't really link it with revenue or actual sales. Part of that was because, when I opened, I had held back a portion of my initial investment to increase inventory later, as I got to know my customer base.  Good idea, but it made me feel like I had money burning a hole in my pocket!

Fast-forward to this summer, as I'm doing my summer/fall buying in preparation for the fall high season.  No "extra" money this year. In addition to replacing my low stock in preparation for fall, I also expanded into several new lines, to the tune of several thousand dollars.  It's not as stupid as it sounds, because I did it in several baby steps:  visits with reps during April, the trade show in June, and rebalancing as I assessed my stock.  (It was kind of stupid.)  BUT I hadn't planned on terrible cash flow in May.  May was awful, and I was unprepared for it.  And then June wasn't much better.  So, I increased inventory while my cash flow was through the floor.  This is bad news!!

Enter Open to Buy.  This is an inventory system based on cash flow and expected sales, a way to put yourself on a diet.  The idea is this:  at the end of the month, total your sales.  Take 50% of that, and that is how much you buy the next month.  Period, with a couple of caveats.  For instance, consider your sales trends.  Low expected sales?  Lay off!  Don't buy as much.  Only buy in anticipation of a good month.  So for me, I should let my inventory dwindle a little during April-July, and then slam the shop full by October.  The method of buying keeps you from having a full shop during months you just know you won't sell anything!

So I had way way WAY overbought this summer.  And my cash flow was terrible, negative actually.  I was glad to be able to give an influx of cash, drawing on my own personal credit line.  (Writing that loan check to the shop was probably my all-time low so far with this business.)

I implemented Open to Buy in August.  Ugh.  I overbought tremendously, but mostly because July was such a low-sales month.  September was better, but again a little over the line, because of deliveries I had had scheduled and just couldn't give up.  Now, I'm only half-way through October and I've hit my limit!  I don't quite know what to do...I'm out of needles to go with my yarn.  This is after TWO purchases of needles this month.

A tightly run shop requires more than a good eye and a great passion for my customers.  This has been a hard lesson to learn, even though it seems like a retired actuary should have this part down cold.  But--ouch!  It is a tightrope.  I don't like seeing some of these empty shelves, but it is better than an empty bank account.

How to Create a Job

It occurs to me that I have more first-hand experience creating jobs than the President.  There seems to be some confusion about where jobs come from.  I would like to explain where private-sector jobs come from.

First, where they DON'T come from:  piles of money just sitting around with nothing to do.  Unselfish rich people do not look at the poor unwashed, have mercy, and throw money at them.

Now, where they do come from:  A person has an idea for making more money, some sort of good or service they want to provide.  The sole purpose may not be to make money, but making money--really, creating WEALTH--where there was none previously is the basic building block.  Now, the person may be able to execute the idea all by himself, for example a shopkeeper who works alone in the shop all day long.  But what if the shop gets so busy that customers leave, unhappy that the shopkeeper can't wait on him?  Or what if the shop grows because it is so popular and the shopkeeper is doing a great job?  Both are good problems to have!  Eventually, the shopkeeper may realize that he needs to hire someone so that his vision of his shop can be realized.  The hiring of an assistant will help the shop to sell even more, thereby increasing revenue, or it may free the shopkeeper to have more time off or to start a new venture.

That's the important point right there--the hiring of an employee makes sense ONLY if the shopkeeper realizes a benefit.  Actually, it is the only reason to hire an employee, ever.  And if an employee ceases to return a worthwhile benefit to the company, then the job should not exist.  This isn't because employers are mean; it's because eventually an employee like this, or many, will kill the company.

Since creating a job means hiring an actual person and forming a relationship with a person, most employers take this very seriously.  They realize they are dealing with another person's livelihood, security and stability.  So unless they are very sure of future demand for their good or service, an employer won't hire someone.  Everyone else may work a little harder, even the sole shopkeeper who works longer hours.

In my case, I decided that I could not open my shop unless I had some part-time help.  So employing people was part of my model all along.  Creating a couple of jobs was required if I was going to even open the shop.  But I didn't do it out of the sheer goodness of my heart.  It was to fulfill the ultimate goal of making enough money to pay the kids' tuition.  I wanted to make a profit. I haven't hired more people, as fun as it would be, because that gets in the way of making more profit.

So the next time you hear any government official or journalist discussing the jobs that aren't being created, I hope you think about this post.  Jobs don't just appear because someone is feeling generous.  Those are the worst kind of "make-work" jobs.  REAL jobs create real wealth, both for the employee and the employer.  They are the only ones that are a true benefit to the economy, and an employer can't be bullied into creating them.  They only come from hope and determination and an atmosphere willing to recognize and reward risk.

Toyota v. Honda at My House

We did it.  We joined Minivan Nation last week.  We researched, we drove, we bought.  Here's what and why.

Former vehicle:  our beloved 2001 Chevrolet Suburban.  We purchased this vehicle when the boys were very small and I was expecting DD3.  I emphatically didn't want a minivan because of the image and the room.  I loved the acres of space in the back and the feeling of being the biggest guy on the road.  This is the car we brought our girls home in, the one we took endless road trips and back-and-forths to the lake in. It was our living room on wheels.  After 9 1/2 years it was a smelly dirty living room!  And I had to face the grim reality--a Suburban, while huge, has a pretty small third seat.  No one believes it until you try to sit back there.  We really needed a car that seated six adult-size people.  Enter the minivan.

We (mostly me) looked at all the offerings.  Honda, Toyota, Chrysler, Nissan, Kia...I'm sure I looked at others but I've forgotten.  The single most important criterion was that third row seat.  The choices pretty quickly boiled down to the Honda, Toyota, and Chrysler, based on reliability reports and lots of different web reviews, like Edmunds.com.  And then I eliminated Chrysler because of numerous reports of uncomfortable chairs--the seating configurations and bells and whistles on the Town and Country are awesome but the chairs weren't too good.  Fine, one less to drive.

I hate to shop for cars.  So the fewer cars we looked at, the better.

I was leaning towards the Toyota Sienna.  Brand new for 2011, the sport model has a really cute commercial about the "swagger wagon."  Not that I'm swayed by advertising.  I've also owned a Toyota and found them as reliable as the day is long.  We went to the dealership on a Friday evening to drive one.  A loaded model just below the Sport was the best they had on the lot, so that's what we tried.

What was good about the Sienna:  Two sunroofs!  Loved that.  It was spacious.  The turning radius was teensy-tiny.  The controls seemed easy to figure out.  The seats were comfortable and easy to move around.

What was less good:  The steering was smooshy, which I guess would be fixed in the Sport model.  It seemed to have some nose dive on a short stop.  But the thing that I really didn't like were the tracks in the floor which are covered by a rubber gasket-type thing.  This is how the seats adjust so much, but it leaves open spaces on the floor.  They looked like trash magnets to me.  And there aren't mats to fit over them.  I mean, I REALLY didn't get this.  But maybe I could get over it, because it looks to me like lots of people do!

So, on to the Honda.  The Odyssey also has a new 2011 model.  The one we drove had just been delivered to the dealership that morning.  It was a Touring model, fully loaded except for a couple of little bells, like the split screen video player.

What was good about the Odyssey:  The look of it from the outside.  It looked sleeker and sportier than earlier models.  I like the "lightning bolt" side that allows for more visibility in the third row.  And that third row--unquestionably bigger than any other vehicle I've been in.  Plenty of room, and even an armrest the kids could flip down in the back.  The controls, of course.  Very easy.  And the steering felt tight and sure, much less floppy than the Toyota.

What was less good:  No second sunroof.  Um, that's it.

Obviously, we got the Honda!  And now I've driven it for a week, and...shhhhhh...I like it.  The fuel efficiency is awesome.  The kids can get in and out so easily, and it really has a ton of space for everyone.  DD3 and I are spending the weekend in North Georgia, so we have gotten to take it on some of the twisty mountain roads, and it has been great.  Not my husband's Porsche, but really good.  And no crumb-catchers in the floor of the car!

So we'll have to wait and see for a real road trip with everyone, but I've migrated to the state of Honda in Minivan Nation and it's not a bad place to be.  (RIP, Suburban.  You were great.)

A dress for Friday

And probably every other day, too.  Oh, Anthropologie, why do you taunt me?  You make the perfect little dress and then only in one color.

Every fall, I mull the fashion offerings.  It's getting harder!  I've done the 80s thing already, back in the actual 80s, so much of this year's stuff is out.  I feel stupid in leggings, and I've hit an age where, while I've still got a pretty good figure, maybe I just don't feel like showing it all the time.  (Thanks, Spanx!)  And, honestly, owning a yarn shop isn't great for feeling young and stylish.  I'm just saying there's high frump potential, that's all.

Enter this dress.  Short, but not too, and comfy with soft corduroy, and just right for showing off my cute Daisy Duke boots* and any of a gazillion scarves at my disposal.  In other words, really perfect.  I'll take one in every color.  So, exactly ONE.

*My Frye Daisy Dukes, brown and cream.  Kind of like the ones in the link except for the color.  The only thing I can wear named after Daisy!

EDITED:  HEY!  They've added two more colors.  Yes, please.

Howdy from Dallas

Blogging today from Dallas.  I'm going to try to blog about travel on Tuesdays, so this works.

Texas is just so darn big.  Lyle Lovett has a terrific song, "That's Right," in which he tells someone not from Texas that it's okay, you can be a Texan, because "Texas wants you anyway."  And it's true.  Everyone I talked to just loves Texas, and they wanted me to love it, too.

I spent the larger part of yesterday shopping.  I visited the Galleria, where I found exactly the same stores that we have in Atlanta.  *yawn*  The Galleria is immense, and it does have an ice skating rink.  I guess I wasn't in the right mood, because I left after about an hour of strolling around and never even got motivated to try on a pair of shoes or some jeans.

I had better luck when I headed down to McKinney Street, in what I think is the "Uptown" neighborhood. One great store was all it took:  Cowboy Cool.  I only bought a belt but also had a great conversation with the owner and staff.  And that is really the point of this post.

Dallas is booming.  It's obvious by the low vacancy rate you see when driving around a shopping district, by the few houses you'll see for sale, and the vibrant restaurant scene.  Not like Atlanta at all.  So when the friendly Cowboy Cool staff asked me where I was from, we launched into a comparison of Dallas and Atlanta.  Georgia's unemployment and foreclosure rates are quite high compared to the national average; Texas' rates are much lower.  The owner said that things were a little tighter this year than last, but really they were doing just fine.  Where last year a customer might have bought TWO pairs of custom-made boots, this year they'd buy just one pair, but they were still buying.

A friend of the owner's had relocated in the last year or so to Atlanta, from a position at the Mansion on Turtle Creek to a similar position at a new property in Atlanta.  The friend is now trying "everything" to get back to Dallas.  Seems the economy in Atlanta isn't supporting the new property.  More than that, though, the friend's experience of Atlanta was that so much of life revolved around race.  The city "too busy to hate" apparently is not too busy to keep careful track of what is fair and what isn't.  Much of this person's professional experience in Atlanta was taken up with placating employees, showing fairness and  dealing with hurt feelings and worse.

Now, this is one person's experience, related to me third-hand.  But this is how a reputation grows.  Why would any company want to locate to a city where they automatically have to prove their good intentions, where a large part of the population is looking for resolutions to grievances, real OR perceived?  Now, I also don't know the state of relations here in Dallas.  But these people were plainly shocked that it "really is like that" in Atlanta, and it was obvious that the level of racial tension--yes, tension, much more than mere awareness--was remarkable to a Dallas transplant.

I wanted to post about this because it was striking--these new acquaintances were looking for verification that the atmosphere in Atlanta "really is like that."  And I had to agree that it is, because even the recent mayoral election bears that out.  While we don't see it out in the suburbs as much, Atlanta spends so much time worrying about black versus white.  It is sad to see a city that helped give birth to the civil rights movement be unable to move beyond it.  I wonder if Atlanta will ever move on.

Well, that was kind of a downer.  So now I'm off to check out Highland Park, GWB's neighborhood, and then I think it'll be time to head home.  One last day to pretend to be a Texan: big hair and big wallet.  At least the hair.

Summer Vacation in November

We didn't have a summer vacay this year, at least not one that counted. We had to attend a family wedding in July. It was in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the week, required putting all six of us on an airplane, and significant time away from work and home. But, trust me, it was no vacation.

We were lucky and blessed to send our kids to camp during June, and some moron decreed that school begins in early August here in Georgia, so we never got a summer week away. This isn't whining, just a way of explaining that our trip isn't special, just extremely postponed. The fun thing is, now we get to plan our vacation!

More background: my husband does his business in China, and we've been planning all year for the six of us to head over there. We both believe it's terribly important for the kids to see what their daddy does and we thought, "Why not? We have great, easy-going kids, so let's just try it."

Now, have you ever tried to do something but had a roadblock in front of you at every turn? That was this trip. Nothing seemed to go right. We had all but decided to cancel it, and one day my DH emailed me an announcement from a trade show in Lyon, France. In November. Leading up to Thanksgiving. This one fell into our laps--we immediately gave up our China plans and turned to France!

Some history: I have for some inexplicable reason been obsessed with all things French for as long as I can remember. I took three years in high school, saving most of my money from my part-time jobs to pay for a trip to France my senior year. My distinct recollection of my first visit to Paris was of "coming home" because I had studied the city and the culture so much. I minored in French in college, taking classes all four years and always getting an "A." My Georgia Tech engineer's GPA owes a lot to my humanities in French, and M. Brown!! I was lucky enough to study under a professor who got me an internship in France between my junior and senior years of high school (Thanks, Dr. Antolovich!!), three months when I got to actually pretend I was "francoise." My sweet husband proposed to me on the Eiffel Tower--yes, ladies, there really ARE men who plan such things! Hold out for one.

Unfortunately, after the proposal, life got in the way. We've had four kids, two houses, two dogs, a cat, a pool, a pony and countless cars since then. If someone had told me fifteen years ago that I'd just now be going back to Paris, I would have been convinced they were lying!!

Anyway, we've bought our plane tickets and are just starting our itinerary. Lyon, naturally, to meet my sweet DH and take in the sights in France's "second city." Then, south to Nimes or possibly Montpellier, then a leisurely drive back north to Paris to spend a few days. My biggest concern right now is where to get turkey in Paris on Thursday! I'll post more as we plan our vacation. Meanwhile, if you've been recently, espeically with the kids, please let me know what you loved! My boys are obsessed with all things Roman, but what else can we do? Thanks!

Why I went

My DH and I spent the weekend in DC, at the Restoring Honor Rally. It was--words fail right now. I'm glad I was there, and it gave me plenty to think about. What I want to do in this post is explore the reasons I felt compelled to be there.

I like Glenn Beck. I think he is a smart guy who has been through a lot in his life, much of it by his own hand. He has found a faith that I don't share--I mean, I'm not Mormon. I am a Christian, so I think I understand the depths of his love of God. And we both look to the Bible for our guidance and understanding. (Okay, I could digress a lot here but I'm going to focus on the rally.) I also think Glenn is over the top quite frequently, and I think he knows it too. He believes that a huge portion of the population is blind or sleeping, and this is his way of grabbing us by the lapels and shaking us.

I think he's wrong some of the time. I think he goes too far on plenty of occasions. And I'm pretty sure he'd agree with me on all of this. But most emphatically I don't look to Glenn for a messiah figure, or even a Moses figure. I don't look to him to form my worldview, and I don't do things just because "Glenn says."

So, when this guy I listen to on the radio says "Come to D.C." I didn't jump. But I thought about it and prayed about it for a while. Last Sunday, six days before the rally, we bought our plane tickets and got our hotel reservation. Here's why:

• I was curious. Glenn had played this one close to the vest, not really saying what this would be. I wanted to see it.
• I wanted to be a part of a message of concern and encouragement. The country feels unhealthy right now. I don't mean Washington. I'm talking about the culture. Sometimes it feels like my friends and I are the weird ones, the ones who believe in traditional marriage, who think that everything that feels good isn't necessarily good for us. The ones who want to take care of our neighbors because that's what people do. This small group...we're not the only ones, are we?
• I wanted to be heard. This is the same reason we went to the national Tea Party on 9/12 of last year. The actions our government is taking, like universal health care and the refusal to prosecute the Black Panther voter intimidation case, feel foreign, deeply un-American, to me. So that was a political motivation for me.
• I feel afraid of the path our country is on. I was looking for comfort and reassurance. I got that by the ton at the Tea Party last year, and I wanted to go back to the well for more. Political? Kind of. More cultural--like, I am not the only one who thinks we're driving off a cliff.
• I didn't want to miss out. I thought--what if something really wonderful comes out of this? I want to say "I was there when..." and not "Wow, I wish I'd been there."

So we went. We met people from all over the country who had gathered. It was what I expected and nothing I expected. My DH and I left feeling challenged, with plenty of ideas to mull for a while.

Two more things to say: first, it was emphatically NOT political. Plenty of lefties will say that's not true, but I listened with ears ready to catch anything. I heard something approaching politics twice: first, a reference by Sarah Palin to a phrase that is used by the Obama administration. Frankly right now I can't remember it, but I remember thinking "Oh, there it is" when she said it. Second, there was only one reference to Islam, in mentioning "Churches and temples, synagogues and mosques" toward the end. There were no imams in sight and no reference to needing to respect Islam. I have my thoughts on that subject so I actually had no problem with this lack of "inclusiveness."

Second, it felt healthy to hear public readings of the Bible and "American Scripture," the Declaration of Independence and the writings of the Founding Fathers and other Patriots. I remember hearing the Gettysburg Address last year, on 9/11, and crying buckets because it spoke to our battle now. Glenn read it out loud at the Rally, and it was moving there, too. Try to find a recording of it and listen with ears to what it says NOW. I believe Lincoln was touched by God when he wrote that. The Bible readings were about restoring, rebuilding, and were mostly Old Testament. They were an encouragement.

I hope I've shared a little of our motivation for attending the rally. Was I satisfied with it? Well, I've certainly got a lot to think about.

Busy-ness

So I'm trying to decide how busy is too busy. We've had exactly four piano practices in two weeks (among four kids...do the math), and I don't know how to pack it in. Matching socks are nonexistent in my house, and the last three days at least four pieces of clothing from the kids have come directly from the dryer. My husband and I are trying to carve out time to just talk to each other without my falling asleep right there. That's not a commentary on him--I'm just exhausted. We get up at 5:45 to get moving, have a cup of coffee before the kids are up and trying to find their clothes.

We have a pony 20 minutes away who needs to be ridden at least four times a week. We have three lunches that must be made. Two loads of laundry a day to keep up. (Where do those clothes come from?) One business that needs to be run well. You can't keep great employees running a shop half-way! That doesn't count my husband's business which is actually how we eat, sleep, swim, vacation, school, everything our children and our life. So my shop is only for me. And possibly my shoes...the shoe money.

I feel like I'm not running my true calling, my home, to its best. But I stayed home for eight years with no outside occupation. And when I did that, I went NUTS. Literally. I have the doctor bills to prove it.

So now I'm wondering...what price sanity? What about the balance between my sanity and my home's? Maybe this is just the same boring old balance blah blah blah. But it is weighing on me. The shop may be coming out of the slump of summer. But will it be enough?

The value of horses

I am so lucky, because one of my children was born horse-crazy. Neither my husband nor I grew up around horses. We just had the little bit of contact with them that second-generation-removed-from-the-farm, suburban kids have: occasional rides on bareback with the docile old farm pony, summer camp rides for an hour or so. Certainly nothing about taking care of a horse. The bridle and bit seemed to be incredibly mysterious and complicated. No more.

DD3 was born with riding boots on, I think. From about the age of three she was obsessed, seeking all things equine out in books and at farms, wanting to ride, ride, ride. For a couple of years all the farms I could find just said, "No, too young, she needs to be seven, maybe eight." Until one day, a friend of mine, a rider, suggested I call her barn. And so DD3's love affair began in earnest at age six.

It so happens that as she was starting to ride, we had her learning disabilities diagnosed: an extreme deficit in short-term memory, particularly visual memory. (Can you say "sight word?") My poor sweet girl's confidence had been shaken mightily at school and she was unwilling to guess with anything. Our wise tutor knew she needed more than drills for memory and encouraged us to pursue the riding to build DD3's confidence.

Oh, how it worked! She embraced controlling this large animal using reins, legs and voice, and she welcomed the challenge of figuring out the tack. It makes me smile thinking of my sweet little thing holding a hoof in her hand and scraping out the ick, or pushing the horse's hindquarters around because he wasn't standing properly. And tack? It was no mystery at all.

My sweet girl became supremely competent at caring for a horse as well as riding it, jumping in the ring and taking the horse on trail rides. She learned how to be strong but gentle, with a firm hand to guide a feisty pony. And of course she continues to learn--she turns nine next week and shows no signs of tiring of her big friends!

Her little sister also rides. DD4 is a lovely, flightly girl who loves absolutely everyone and finds a way to put herself into the middle of anything that's going on. And she's blond, God love her. But for her, riding requires her to be more serious than at any other time. If she doesn't pay close attention she'll miss her jumps or not ride the correct way. For DD4 this level of concentration and quiet attention are a gift.

After seeing his two younger sisters ride, my oldest son decided to give it a go. This is such an unusual activity for a boy, even though many men are champion riders. DS1 is now a middle-schooler, and he has a tendency to be harsh. He is constantly reminded to temper his anger as he deals with an animal that may or may not be cooperating! There is NOTHING I can do for him (or to him!) that would give him this experience. But through this wordless communication he is learning how to be firm and determined but still kind and gentle. Great lessons for a young man.

There's also just so much stuff that goes along with horses: brushes, combs, sprays, picks, blankets, leather of all sorts. It all has to be cared for, especially because it doesn't come cheap! It is so wonderful to have them learn to take care of everything at the barn, part of learning the good with the bad.

We just went to a horse show this morning with our new pony Bailey. He did okay, but the kids did great managing this green little horse. So I've had horses on the brain. Just wanted to share a tiny bit of our experience. Yes, they are frightfully expensive but there is a lot to it, and I am so glad we've been able to give out kids this chance to learn from them. I can't encourage it enough.

Arrogant or Incompetent?

Which is the preferred trait in a leader? Neither is great, but is one less bad? DH and I discussed this last night as we watched O'Reilly. Chris Wallace was the guest, and after much pulling and prodding O'Reilly finally got this newsman to offer his opinion. (That's not his job, but that's another issue.) Wallace believed that Obama's problem, his tone-deafness, is due to arrogance. O'Reilly reacted strongly against that word, pushing Wallace to back down from that word and chalk the disconnectedness in the White House to incompetence. Wallace was firm, and stuck by his analysis of arrogance.

BTW, the purpose here wasn't to critique O'Reilly. That would take SEVERAL more posts.

So DH and I started talking about it...would we prefer a leader who is arrogant or incompetent? Well, of course the right answer is "neither," but I think we are stuck with at least one of these traits for two more years. Arrogant--there was no one with a bigger ego than Bill Clinton, but I think he wasn't terrible. I completely disagreed with his policies, but he was sensitive to the electorate, infuriating to his opponents, and endlessly creative. A leader who is arrogant will stick to his own point of view rather than reach out for others. He'll claim credit for anything good that happens, and find ways to pin blame for the bad on those who are outside his circle. He'll try to lead by force of his character. Humility? Unheard of, in the leader or those around him. Be humble around this guy and get run over. Hmmm...the shoe seems to fit.

An incompetent leader, on the other hand, will lead us down the wrong road. "President" is a big job, the biggest big-picture job in the world. Not only do you need a big picture outlook, you must surround yourself with people who can do the same within their own spheres. Look at who runs this administration: more Ph.D.s and non-profit/government workers than any previous administration, and fewer private, business-oriented, big picture citizens than ever before.

My DH, a Ph.D. himself, has said more than once that as you proceed through higher education, you know more and more about less and less. Eventually you know an infinite amount about the asshole of an ant. A person can be brilliant but incompetent, failing to see the big picture. An incompetent leader might surround himself with other experts, all various asshole experts, but not realize he also needs to understand the general manure pile. (Man, that metaphor is stretched way too thin. Sorry. I'll quit.)

They've all convinced themselves that they are experts, but things keep happening "unexpectedly." When was the last time you heard a piece of bad economic news that didn't include the word "unexpected?"

The worst possiblity is that these two traits aren't mutually exclusive. An incompetent AND arrogant leader may be what we have. Someone who fails to learn from past experience and says that he doesn't have anything to learn.

The arrogant/incompetent meme seems to be gathering steam. Just this morning I saw this from Commentary Magazine:

It’s a deadly combination — intellectual arrogance and lack of sympatico with the public — that leads him again and again to stumble. And when his shortcomings lead to embarrassment or failure, he strikes out in frustration — at Israel, at the media, and at the American people. The image of himself clashes with the results he achieves and the reaction he inspires. No wonder he’s so prickly. You’d be, too, if everyone your entire life had told you that you were swell but now, when the chips are down and the spotlight is on, you are failing so badly in your job.

So we may be in for a "prickly" couple of years. Arrogant, incompetent, or, tragically, both?

Feeling inspired

And maybe restless. A lovely friend, a homeschooling mom, is so faithful about posting to her blog, and I love to read it. And I want to join in the noise again!

I've delinked my blog from the shop, so my customers can't find it unless they really really look. That way, maybe, I can share a little bit of what the view is like from behind the counter. I also have discovered a new passion, horses, and my children continue to grow and change before I can even take a deep breath! Oh, and we're are helping to start a new congregation here in our little town, a Lutheran congregation, but so far unaffiliated with any particular "flavor."

I miss the sharing, although it always feels like I launch my words into the ether that is the interwebs. I've noticed from sitemeter that I've been getting a few hits a week even though the blog has been sleeping, so maybe it's time. Aim low.

Revived.

I'm re-awakening my sleeping blog. More later, but I just signed up for "90 in 90," an effort to read the Constitution and Federalist papers in 90 days. No link yet...Google it and join me!

An open letter to Newt Gingrich

Yes, I haven't posted in a while. The new shop and life keep getting in the way. But tonight as I was doing the dishes I got a phone call from American Solutions, asking if I'd listen to Newt's message and then I was asked for a donation. I listened--I've always liked Mr. Gingrich--but my heart sank as I listened to him. I tried to explain myself to the telemarketer on the other end of the line, but I know all she heard was "No." Anyway, I need to say more...

Dear Mr. Gingrich,

I received a phone call tonight from your organization, American Solutions. When you formed this group I excitedly watched for great ideas to emerge. Maybe, even, a presidential bid. (I understood, but was a little disappointed, when you said you couldn't run because of campaign finance issues and this new group.) I was happy to listen to your recorded message of solutions you were proposing. I think there were supposed to be 12 solutions, but you only listed four or five in the recording.

I didn't donate. I want you to know why: You didn't go far enough.

The time is gone for fretting over spending my tax dollars. This oligarchy in Washington is bent on spending my grandchildren's money at this point. My children didn't get a voice in this. Speak to that, Mr. Speaker. Speak to the worst generational theft ever perpetrated.

Please don't say you'll "end wasteful government spending." The only way to reduce government waste is to reduce the government. We both know it. SAY IT. You have a national platform, so please say it for us.

Talk about the obscene nationalization of the banks and now the car companies. Talk about taking my health care choices out of my hands because the collective will make better decisions for us all. Talk about a system that doesn't apply the rule of law but rather the rule of "who you know."

Your words were weak and timid, Mr. Speaker. Frankly, it surprised me. I am proud to have voted for you back when you represented the 6th district of Georgia, and I've followed your career with its ups and (let's be frank) its downs. In the past, I've admired your boldness, even when the specific ideas were half-baked. I love someone who is willing to say and try new things, and I always new I could count on you for that.

So where has that Newt gone? You are most statesmanlike at your boldest. Please reconsider your position, and the tenor of your statements. We have a President on the edge of a pivotal, and possibly terrible, trip to the Middle East, a current Speaker who condemns the very men and women sworn to protect her and all of us, and a Vice President who is bent on disclosing every secret he's privy to. Step up. You can be the elder statesman here, but be that statesman boldly. Now, of all times, is no time for lukewarm reconciliation. Our country is in peril, Mr. Speaker. You and I both feel it. Please find the boldness that has been your hallmark during your entire career. Our country needs that boldness; our country needs you.

Sincerely,

The mom

Stop!

Watch this:

And go here.  I haven't thoroughly checked these guys out, but Reason TV and the Heritage Foundation are good bona fides.  These kids, and mine, are why I'm attending the Atlanta Tea Party next week with my husband and kids.  Not convinced?  Try this:

On a personal note, I think Nick Gillespie has a great narrator's voice!  But isn't this enough?  When is it enough?

Find a tea party.  Go.  Make a sign.  Speak up.  Go.

ps to Casto:  Hey!  I have a yarn shop...I know, crazy!  Check out the shop site and blog and email me if you are on Ravelry!

Checking in

Just a quick post...I miss blogging, and there is so much going on, and I'd like to share a little of what it's like to open up a business, too.  But this will have to suffice for now.

The shop has been open for ten days now, and it is rolling along nicely.  I'm starting to sell out of a few things, and so one of my worries is how to handle re-ordering, and how to not spend too much!

I hear "We're so glad you are here!" at least three times a day.  That is good for the old ego but at some point you can't coast on that.  Dealing with technology has been a major pain, even with my vaunted Macs.  (Can you believe TWO defective mouses...er, mice?)  

Another surprising pain is display space...how to balance spending money on lovely store fixtures with needing to not spend too much?  Merchandising is key to retail, and it is fun, but biting off a $500 $1000 expense when I'm just starting out is a big decision.  I spent several thousand on fixtures and improvements, but it wasn't quite enough.  Guess I'll be looking for some more today.

The best part?  Just chatting and getting to know my customers!  And seeing my customers meet one another in the store...yesterday at three different times I had groups just sitting and chatting (and they did eventually buy, which is important).  But I really want my shop to be a hub, a gathering place, and I think that it is moving in that direction!

the press conference

Dammit Mr. President.  STOP telling me you "inherited" this or that.  STOP.  I don't care what you inherited.  It is your deal now.  Man up and own it.  

Updated:  Stop it..."it was here when I got here."  God almighty, just own it.  What in heaven's name have we elected?  

I think I'm going to have to turn off the tv.  I've been watching for all of 30 seconds.

Some reading, Lenten and otherwise

I'm deep in the start of Sugarfoot Yarns...that blog is over here.  But life goes on.  Read something briefly this morning so true, so simple and direct and right, though, that I needed to share it.  

I'm against government funding of embryonic stem cell research.  It is wrong, and I think it is dangerous.  God didn't intend for us to meddle in our mortality like this.  But P.J. O'Rourke has made a beautiful argument against it here.  He has cancer...if anyone could "justify" this, he could.  But he doesn't.  Read it.  Obama is wrong, dangerously so, and unfortunately the "least of these" will be the ones to pay for his ignorance.

I didn't give up anything for Lent, but I tried to take on a Lenten discipline of reading a book.  So for me it is Seven Storey Mountain by Thomas Merton.  I'm only a little into it, but so far it is excellent.  I'll share more later, but I'd encourage you to pick it up.

Too far?

Has he gone too far?  A trillion here, a trillion there, that's just money between friends, right?  But this, trying to negotiate with that guy up there by LETTER?  God help us all.

Oh no they didn't

They did.