St. Patricks Day-A day for the irish.....although I am cooking cornbeef, cabbage and potatoes as we speak, I long to be able to embrace some culture that was in my family background, but the only culture that was ever spoken about was the band Culture Club from the 80's. 

You see, I am what my family calls "Heinz 57", meaning our family comes from so many different types of bloodlines that when doing a family tree, my cousin had to use enough trees to make a housing developement.  Seriously, we cannot find true culture in my family background.

What is a 44 year old woman to do with no culture?  I can't purchase it, I can't make it up (I could but my family would call a therapist)  I will just settle for being me....a happily married, mom, daughter, sister, aunt and cousin to numerous other family members who are in the same boat as I am......lacking culture but we have eachother................

I read an article in the Bakersfield Californian several days ago about the owner of the empty home that was used for party central by numerous teens.  The owners decision not to press charges baffled me.  He stated in the article that he took the beer back, but returned several other items to them.  WHAT?  Okay, I look around the neighborhoods and high schools and see kids driving brand new vehicles, wearing $250.00 pairs of jeans, carrying designer handbags and think...what are they going to want when they graduate?  Hold these kids accountable for their actions!  So they won't like you, who cares!  They WILL get over it, and if not......who cares!  I am so incredibly fed up with parents NOT parenting, allowing their relationship with their kids to be that of a buddy and not a parent!  No wonder our society is the way it is!  Okay, I'm done................for now.  Thanks for reading and putting up with my "venting".

I homeschooled our eldest daughter.   Her homeschooling experience was short lived...very short...2 days.  I am a very patient person; however, my ability to actually teach her/challenge her was left to the teachers.  Don't get me wrong, we teach our children on a daily basis and are very involved in their schooling/education.  We have confidence in the public school system and our daily involvement has enabled our girls to become honor students and most importantly, well mannered, positive citizens of our our community.  What I am very concerned about is the government telling parents that they CANNOT teach their children at home.  I know many homeschooled children and while they are not  schooled outside of their home, they are honor students and are involved in extra curricular activities which enable them to interact with their peers.  What is next?  Is the government going to tell us where we take our children to church, what movies we can take them to, what types of clothes we buy them???  We need to stand up for our rights!  We need to band together, regardless of what political party we are.  It is time for parents to be parents and stop depending on the government and the schools to raise our children.  It is our God given right  to raise these children up to become law abiding citizens, positive role models and we need to be positive role models to them and not rely on others to raise them!  They say it takes a village, well............you need to start in your own "village" first!