Why can't sizes be universal?

A few days ago I went shopping for some new pants for work. Now I know that sizing may be different for different brands. I also know that I wear a size 12 because I have pants that are size 12 from 3 different brands. Even knowing what size I wear I still try on the pants when I go shopping.

I chose 2 pair of pants (same brand) and went to try them on. Both pair of pants were size 12. The first pair I tried on fit perfectly and I almost didn't try on the 2nd pair. I'm glad that I did. The 2nd pair was way too small and I had to go back and get a larger size (which I also tried on), this pair fit.

What I don't understand is how 2 pairs of pants from the same company can be so drastically different in the size. I really wish that all companies and brands would use the same sizing for pants.

Waiting for baby

My fifth grandchild is due to be born any time now. Waiting for a baby to be born is hard. Waiting for a baby to be born when you are 2000 miles away is even harder. I keep waiting for the phone to ring, I keep checking messages.

I wish I was there, but since I can't be, I will just keep waiting for a phone call, and then the pictures that me son said he will email to me.

Woman stabs foot during ritual

I just read a news article about a woman stabbing her foot with a sword during a Wiccan Ceremony. You can read the article here.

Woman runs sword into foot...

What I don't understand is why do this ritual in a cemetery? Even though the article doesn't bash Wicca, the fact that they were performing the ritual in a cemetery could feasibly lead to more misinformation about Wiccans. I can hear it now, "Wiccans must be evil, they perform their ceremonies in cemeteries. They must be doing black magic", etc.

Of course, I could be wrong and nothing will come of this.

Walmart: The good stuff

Walmart gets a lot of bad press, and the Gods know I do my own share of venting.

Here is some of the good about the company.

Walmart has what they call an Open Door policy. This means that any associate that has a problem can go to a supervisor or management and make a complaint or talk about their problem. I like that, I don't have to go a third party and talk to them and then have them do my talking for me. I know the open door works because I have used it.

You know those little paper balloons the cashiers ask if you want to purchase for CMN? Well the money from those balloons goes to the Children's Network Hospital nearest to your Walmart. All the money raised from the balloons at my Walmart goes to the Barbara Bush Children's Hospital in Portland, Maine.

Aside from the donations from customers for CMN, our store also has silent auctions, and bake sales for associates with the proceeds going to CMN.

Walmart has an associates in critical need fund. If your an an associate and you have a critical need you can talk to your personnel manager and get some help. Having never had the need to use it, I do not know exactly what is considered a critical need.

We support Relay for Life and our store has two teams.

Our store donates thousands of dollars every year to local causes.

The people, it doesn't matter what area you work in, there are no boundaries, people pull together to help each other, at work and outside of work.

If it weren't for our local Walmart many more people in our area would be unemployed.

A pig in the bed and lambs in the pantry

The year was 1992 and we were living 6 miles from Lavina, MT. Lavina is a very small town (pop. around 200) 50 miles away from Billings, MT. Our home included a barn, pig pen, chicken coop and a small pasture and a large garden area. It was ideal for me because I wanted to raise our own food. My (ex)husband worked with a man that raised pigs, he had a new litter. We had talked about getting a weaner pig from him when the piglets were ready. One day he brought home a very small piggy. She was the runt and couldn't compete well with her larger litter mates. We had a wood stove in the bedroom and made her a bed behind it so she would stay warm and I bought some baby formula and baby cereal to feed her. My boys were told told that when she grew up she would be butchered and would be dinner. They started calling her Dinner and that became her name.

A few weeks later I was given a lamb. He wasn't expected to live, but if I wanted to try I could have him. He had something wrong with his neck so that he had trouble standing. He looked like he was dizzy and we named him Dizzy. Dizzy had to be kept warm and in a small area where he couldn't hurt himself so he lived in our pantry.

Now as Dinner grew she got adventurous and started exploring. It was getting difficult to keep her in the bedroom, if I shut the bedroom door she would stand there and squeal which set my dogs off barking. I was thinking that it was probably time to put her out in the pig pen but was reluctant to do it because she was still so small. I changed my mind about putting her out when I woke up one morning and had 3 dogs and one small pig in my bed. If she could climb up onto the bed she was old enough to go outside.

Dizzy also flourished and grew. He over came his dizziness and was able to move out to the barn.

Welcome to_________now go home

I'm from Montana. Most native Montanans do not like Californians. They come to the state to escape the rat race and instead bring it with them. They drive up the costs of land and housing so that many native Montanans can't afford to buy. I have seen many bumper stickers telling Californians to go home.

I have lived in Maine for 4 years. In that time, I have found that many native Mainers feel the same way about 'people from away' particularly those from Massachusetts. If you are 'from away' you always will be, now matter how long you have lived here. I have seen a bumper sticker that says "Welcome to Maine, now go home". Maine is Vacationland, it says so on the license plates. Tourist season brings a lot of money into the state and many businesses rely on the tourists. If you run a retail business, a resort or hotel, you are happy to see the tourists, they equal sales. If you have to drive any where you are not happy to see them, they clog the roads with traffic. People from Massachusetts also come here and buy land and houses and drive the costs up.

I have to wonder if all states feel the same way about out of staters moving in.

Marginal Way

In the four years I have lived in Maine I haven't seen much of the state. Before this weekend I had only been to the coast 2 times. Saturday we got together with my boyfriend's sisters and went to Ogunquit to walk the Marginal Way. The Marginal way is a walking path along the rocky coast. On your left you have the coast and on your right you have expensive homes with well manicured lawns and flower gardens.

Stereotyping

Yesterday I was reading a blog, Complex Femme, and stereotyping was mentioned.

What is stereotyping? According to Dictionary.com

4. Sociology. a simplified and standardized conception or image invested with special meaning and held in common by members of a group: The cowboy and Indian are American stereotypes.
–verb (used with object)
5. to make a stereotype of.
6. to characterize or regard as a stereotype: The actor has been stereotyped as a villain.
7. to give a fixed form to.

It is my opinion that while stereotyping is often taught to children by their parents, whether intentional or not, it is also caused by being uninformed, and can be caused by first impressions, and experiences.

My first stepfather was Mexican American. He was physically abusive to my Mother. Given this experience I could easily stereotype Mexican Americans as abusers. However, I know that isn't true. No matter how hard I tried to get my mom to leave this man she wouldn't do it. Later he cheated on her and then left her for his girlfriend.

My ex both cheated on me and was abusive. So now I have the experiences that would allow me to stereotype all men as abusive cheaters. Again, I know that this isn't true.

My first impression of an Australian was a very rude boy that I refused an alcohol sale to, because he did not have proper ID. First he tried to say I was prejudice against Australians, then he proceeded to put me down through the entire transaction as a rang up the rest of his items. To top it all off it was some how my fault that his credit card would not let him get cash back at the register. I could easily have decided that Australians are rude.

I would ask that before you use stereotypes for groups of people, whether it is religion, race, sexual orientation, or some other group that you take the time to realize how you formed this opinion and hopefully become more informed about the group of people that you are stereotyping. What holds true for one or two individuals doesn't necessarily hold true for a whole group of people.

New to blogging?

So am I.

I would like to share a few sources that I found with you.
Blogger Talk is a blogging community. It has a forum with advice and people that are happy to help you with your questions.

One of the best sources for information that I have found is another blog, Rose often posts tips for bloggers on her blog.

I also encourage you to visit other blogs, often. See what they are writing about it may inspire you for an idea for your own blog. I am not saying to write about what another blogger has posted, just that you may get an inspiration from reading. Make sure that you leave a comment.

Well, that's all I have since I am still learning myself.
Enjoy your blogging experience!

Pagan Bashing

I am appalled that NBC has allowed one of it's commentators to get away with her pagan bashing comment on the Today Show. Is religious intolerance now acceptable on national television?
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/25368216#25368216

Pagans are not bad nasty people. We are mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters. We are your co-worker. We donate to charity, we help our neighbor. We are out there and except for those few that are in it for the shock factor, you can not tell us from anyone else. We care about the earth, we care about what is going on in our society and the world. We love our families and our friends. We work, we laugh, we play, we cry. In short, pagans are no different from any one else.

If you feel that religious intolerance has no place on a national T.V. show I urge you to sign the petition that you will find HERE

Or you can send an email to the commentator HERE

No matter what your religion is no one should have the right to bash it. After all religion and spirituality are a personal choice.