Bloomers Garden Center

My mom and dad have a new website for their garden center: http://www.bloomersmn.com/index.html

Check it out!

Discussion Starter

By request, I am doing a discussion generating post! YAY!

The topic I chose: The Death Penalty.

For it? Against it? And why (don't forget to answer this part!)?

Give a short and sweet answer or a long and indepth one...

Because this is such a controversial issue and there are two sides (or more) to the issue, please read what others have to say, too! And even if you don't agree, it's always nice to try and understand where other people are coming from!

Hopefully this will generate a good discussion!

I have very strong opinions on this issue but I'll wait to share them until a few people have posted their comments!

Blogging Slump

I am in a blogging slump...
Fresh out of ideas...
I have no idea what to blog about...
Should I try to think of a question to generate discussion?
Should I get my soapbox about something?
Should I tell a story from my life?
Should I write about something I've been pondering?
I have no idea.
Hence, this post.

What's your favorite quote?

What is your favorite quote?

Could be a famous line, a movie line, one that you or your friends, family or kids always say...

Could be something that makes you laugh, reflect on life, define your life, move you to action or tears...

Leave as many or few quotes as you'd like!

And the award goes to: CHARLIE!

Being a Clark, I can definitely sleep. A nap for me is at least 3 hours. I can sleep in well past noon given the chance. Many other "Clarks" can acheive the same sleeping accomplishments.

This post, however, it to honor one of the greatest sleeping accomplishments by a Clark that I am aware of. And this award goes to Charlie.

Charlie can correct me on the details in a comment if I am wrong but the other night, Charlie went to bed around 3:30 a.m. He awoke to a text message by a friend. Charlie was annoyed that this person would text him at 9:45 AM on a non-school day!! It was his day to sleep in!!! He was annoyed until he looked at his clock... it was 9:45 PM!

Charlie slept about 18 hours... WITHOUT WAKING UP AT ALL.

And maybe we've all slept this long before when we were really, really sick or in an enduced coma, but to sleep this long, through an entire day... that's quite the accomplishment!

What is one of your greatest sleeping accomplishments?

Jessica's Practical Tip #5

When making box Macaroni and Cheese, remove the cheese packet before dumping the noodles into the hot, boiling water. I found this tip to be particularly useful in my own life.

Socialism?

I am not sure what the truthfulness is of the story, but regardless, the overall point is good (in my capitalist, non-socialistic, conservative opinion).

A simple analogy*

An economics professor at Texas Tech said he had never failed a single student before but had, once, failed an entire class. That class had insisted that socialism worked and that no one would be poor and no one would be rich, a great equalizer. The professor then said ok, we will have an experiment in this class on socialism. All grades would be averaged and everyone would receive the same grade so no one would fail and no one would receive an A. After the first test the grades were averaged and everyone got a B. The students who studied hard were upset and the students who studied little were happy. But, as the second test rolled around, the students who studied little had studied even less and the ones who studied hard decided they wanted a free ride too; so they studied little.. The second test average was a D! No one was happy. When the 3rd test rolled around the average was an F. The scores never increased as bickering, blame, name calling all resulted in hard feelings and no one would study for the benefit of anyone else. All failed, to their great surprise, and the professor told them that socialism would also ultimately fail because when the reward is great, the effort to succeed is great; but when government takes all the reward away; no one will try or want to succeed. Could not be any simpler than that....

What's your favorite thing?

Let's face it... we have possessions that we love and don't want to part with. I think there is also a way to have "stuff" without being materialistic. I think it becomes a problem when "stuff" becomes more important than things like family, God, relationships, responsibility (like buying "stuff" instead of paying bills), etc. We are all guilty of being materialistic at times though because we are all human.



What is one "thing" or category of things that you own or possess that you do not want to part with? Let's leave out answers like pictures of family, Bibles, sentimental stuff (ie: grandmas ring), general necessities (ie: food, clothes - you CAN say stuff like "Nike shoes" or "Levi Jeans")



I am talking about things that you spent your money on because you wanted it.



I'll go first: I am in love with my Toyota 4Runner. It is exactly what I wanted and then some! It's 4 wheel drive, manual transmission, has a sunroof, running boards, big tires, ball hitch (not that I use it, but if I needed it, I'd have one!)...





*knock on wood* Now I am afraid something will happen to my 4Runner or I'll get into an accident - this is my new found anxiety kicking in! lol (well, not really that funny).

Roots

I grew up around plants. Lots of them. I don't know as much as my parents do but I know a little bit. I know that they all start growing somewhere. And most of the time, that somewhere is not at my parents garden center. The plants have been growing somewhere else, then, when my parents buy them, someone uproots them, ships them to the garden center and my parents sell them. Then, the plant gets put in someone's yard, their new home, to be enjoyed. It takes time before that plant has fully set it's roots in it's new home. As it grows, gets watered, and enjoys the sun, it's root grow more and more each day. Until finally one day, the plant is fully rooted in it's new home.

In June, I uprooted myself from California. And then I transplanted myself here in Minnesota. While I wouldn't consider myself to be fully "rooted" in my new home, I am well on my way to being there. I think I just need a little more time to grow and to reach my roots down a little further. But I am definitely rooted enough that if someone tried to move me again, I might not make it. My new home has certainly grown on me (no pun intended) and I am confident that this decision to move to Minnesota was the right one.