I'm doing research on misogyny in religion and it's really becoming a passion for me.  It all started with my main character who is an outspoken atheist author in my new book.  So, as an author, I had to come up with what she would be writing about.  It's kind of an odd double life.  I feel as though she has the courage to tackle non-fiction in a way that I could only hope to do.  I am so grateful for my education at Augustana College at this point though.  I'm taking hours researching and trying to look into all of the angles because that's what I was taught to do.  Many of you know that I am agnostic, until there is proof, I cannot abide on faith alone.  It's done too much damage to our modern world.  However, I remember that some of the courses that I enjoyed the most in college were my religion courses.  It's a strict Lutheran college that demands that you take 2 religion courses.  Of course, I was always the devil's advocate.  I remember arguing that a person could seriously make so many connections between Bush's (Jr) presidency and his use of religion and Hitler's rise in Germany using religion.  They denied some of the sources that I wanted to use, but my professors enjoyed the fact that I read everything they gave me.  Had it not been for them I would never have studied Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a deeply religious man who was killed because he was involved in a plot to kill Hitler.  He had such a beautiful soul.  I remember reading his letters to his wife, Maria, while he was imprisoned and I just sighed.
The one thing that I love about research is that it takes you places you never thought you would go.  Whoever thought that I would agree with a Rabbi quoted on Jezebel.com who advocates that women and their dress, and the perception of male weakness is a falsehood.  Men should control their lustful thoughts, no one is "asking for it".
Also, I never knew that the theories of L. Ron Hubbard included one sentence in which women should not be allowed an active role in politics or business as that would be "detrimental to society".
I feel grateful that I now have the time to research these gender issues and would welcome any comments or suggestions on further readings on these topics.  Until then, I'm signing out to research!  ;)

Perhaps this is no surprise, but I absolutely suck at romantic relationships.  I think it's that feeling of putting all your weight on a branch and getting ready to fall.  That's probably why they call is falling in love.  Who knows?
So here goes, this new guy that I am kind of seeing is really just a friend so far.  He is leaving for his homeland in 2 months.  There is war there and he will be there for a month, and then will hopefully come back.  Part of me is horrific and self-protective, the common sense part, and just saying, "okay we'll make sure he comes back and then emotionally commit".  Part of me wants to dive right in and fall.  We both work really weird and crazy schedules and it's hard to see one another anyway.  But something about him makes it easy to discuss anything.  You really don't find that in normal, every day life.
Can you tell I'm riding the fence?
Guess I'll always be Voluntarily Solitary at this rate, right?  But why should self protection be a bad thing?  If a person really wants to be with you, they should be into protecting your feelings too, right?  I'm much better at thought that goes through a logical progression than all of these feelings.  Is anybody with me on this?

I was in bed after the alarm rang this morning, just trying to wake up to be capable of making coffee.  That was when I heard this great howling coming from outside.  Our cat often sneaks out when my son's friends come to visit at night, so I thought, no problem I will just let him in.
I went to the front door, no cat.  At the back door, there was no cat.  When I went back to the front door again, there was this even louder desperate howl.  I looked all over the yard, but couldn't find him.  That's when I realized that he was above me.  Yes, ladies and gentleman, my cat was on the roof.
I tried to get him to come down and jump into my arms, but he was shaking and terrified.  In retrospect, I would have been trembling too, had our positions been reversed.  So then, ever the logical person, I got a chair and tried to climb onto it, and from my height on the porch I could reach him, but only one leg and he kept backing up in fear of losing control.
I woke my son Bobby up, who is much taller than me.  He tried to help me, but just couldn't get him down either and he was trying to get some sleep before work.  I tried my other son, George.  He woke up, was kind enough to stand precariously on a chair, while I grabbed Beni's favorite yoga mat and put it out to get him.  (He loves yoga)).  Anyway, this odd situation worked and my cat, the climber is home.
After a rude awakening like that, is it possible to have a normal day???