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Mary Kathryn Johnson
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The House and Obamacare - Two Wrongs Don't Make a Right

9/19/2013

2 Comments

 
American Flag over San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge
The ideal days of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington are far behind us as Republicans in the House try to finally get rid of the Affordable Care Act by defunding it while funding a higher national debt. 

I wish Mr. Smith would return.  

Better yet, I wish our politicians would actually work for us rather than themselves and their parties.

Current political motto:  Self ~ Party ~ Unions/Corporations ~ Lobbyists ~ Constituents

My ideal political motto:  Constituents ~ Party ~ Self

You can find my take on the current Stopgap funding bill vote coming up on Friday in my article on Yahoo! News.  

I would love your opinion.


Mary Kathryn Johnson
Author ~ Entrepreneur ~ Mom

@SayBumpandTweet
Everything MommyLoves
Say Bump and Take a Left

2 Comments

I Woke Up Today

9/3/2013

10 Comments

 
Sequoia High Sierra Camp - Waking up to beauty!
I woke up today.
Today is my birthday.
Today is another day with no mistakes...yet.
Today's mistakes will certainly lead to tomorrow's wisdom.
I hope I wake up tomorrow to apply one, and learn from the other...again.


Today, I appreciate breathing.
Breathing leads to laughing, and I absolutely LOVE laughing!
The laughter of my kids is the best.
When they make me laugh with an inside joke, I can't believe how lucky I was to wake up.


The sunshine, fog, heat, rain and snow are all welcome when I wake up.
I woke up to sun, then walked the dogs today.
I woke up, and was thankful for the amazing man who has been waking up by my side for 30 years.
Flaws and all, I'm glad he puts up with mine too.
I'm glad I know the difference between annoying flaws and downright dangerous ones, and hope the same for you!


I woke up today, and finished my 50th year of waking up.
Here's to year 51...may I wake up to greet every day of it.


Thanks for sharing the days with me, and here's to waking up tomorrow.
See you then.


Mary Kathryn Johnson
Author ~ Entrepreneur ~ Mom

@SayBumpandTweet
Everything MommyLoves
Say Bump and Take a Left

10 Comments

Five Tips for Living the Mom Solopreneur Dream

8/22/2013

3 Comments

 
Picture
Ask any new mom who consciously made the choice to stay home and raise her own kids if she is 'living the dream,' and I guarantee her answer will be, "ABSOLUTELY.....except when I'm not."


Once the bills settle in from the change in lifestyle required for a one income household in the 21st century, this dream mom job might shift, and cause her to become a solo-entrepreneur to make ends meet.


I've been living that dream (that has sometimes felt like a nightmare when I've had only three hours sleep) for the past 10 years, and I have some tips for success I outline in my Yahoo! Voices article:


  • Prioritize throughout your day, and use the kids' needs to your advantage.  



  • Let your goals evolve alongside your kids.



  • Organization is key...except when it's not.



  • Read on for a new definition of yourself.....



Are you a solopreneur mom?  If so, or if you want to be, please share your ideas below!

Mary Kathryn Johnson
Author ~ Entrepreneur ~ Mom

@SayBumpandTweet
Everything MommyLoves
Say Bump and Take a Left


3 Comments

Give A Man A Gun

4/29/2013

4 Comments

 
Picture
Mary Kathryn Johnson
Author ~ Entrepreneur ~ Mom

@SayBumpandTweet
Everything MommyLoves
Say Bump and Take a Left


4 Comments

You

2/4/2013

6 Comments

 
Jenny Craig Scale
Are you getting discouraged with your goal to lose weight or get healthy in 2013, just like every other year?  Well, I have a secret that could just be the magic pill!

Ready?



This isn't a call to...follow this particular weight loss technique, and you, too, could look like me!  If you looked like me, there would be two of us, and you would have to be the evil twin.

Find what is right for YOU!

How?  Start by sitting down, taking a deep breath, and shutting up!  That includes your thoughts, don't let them shout at you that you should be vacuuming, or fixing dinner, or writing that blogpost, or finding out what your silent toddler is up to...well, that one you better listen to.  Go ahead, I'll wait.

When you sit and listen, you just might see where you need to put the most energy to make yourself a better version of yourself.

  • Is it what you eat?
  • Is it how fast you eat?
  • Is it how often you eat?
  • Is it your activity level? (or lack thereof)
  • Is it your activity frequency? (or lack thereof)
  • Is it your triggers to eat, like stress, boredom, TV watching, picking off the kids' plates, tasting while cooking?
  • Is it your late night snacking?
  • Is it that you DON'T eating breakfast?

I guarantee that if you sit quietly for a few minutes a day, and focus on just one change you want to make in your life, you will start acting toward that change.  It takes 21 days of daily focus to change a habit.  We have passed that date in the New Year, and will pass it again next month, and next year.

You might as well focus now for long term change, because no "diet" will help you maintain a healthy lifestyle once you lose weight.  Only your daily focus will do that.

If, after listening quietly, you find that you are just fine the way you are, then Fantastic!  I bet you have more to learn in life, because you are human, by the way, and that means decidedly not perfect.  There must be something you need to do to improve upon that amazing package?  Internal and external change have their roots in your mind and attitude every time.

So sit and listen at least once a day.  Call it whatever you want...taking a breath...me time...meditation...finding your smile...calming down so you don't spew at someone...whatever!  We all need a moment, and if that moment moves us forward toward our goals, 



THAT'S THE POINT!


Mary Kathryn Johnson
Author ~ Entrepreneur ~ Mom

@SayBumpandTweet
MommyLoves to Chat!
Everything MommyLoves
Say Bump and Take a Left


6 Comments

Yes

12/27/2012

10 Comments

 
Picture
























I have learned quite a few things this year, and have learned to actually live many more that I already knew.  Here goes...
  • Say "Yes" and allow your children to be children as often as possible, unless what they want will harm them or someone else.  Sometimes saying "No" becomes a habit we need to break.
  • Children and adults are moved by and respond to compassionate reasoning over yelling every time, and can see in your eyes if your faking.  
  • Those who don't respond right away, probably expect and are more familiar with the yelling, so they need the compassion even more.
  • Show those you love that they are loved whenever the opportunity arises, not because that might be your last chance to do so, but because you actually love them. 
  • People actually get the opposite of what they want when they don't make their own educated decisions, and instead, follow blindly whatever group will lead them.
  • Those older than you almost always have a wisdom worth listening to if you just close your mouth and open your heart.
  • "Normal" people are just not eccentric enough to imagine and create the advancements the world has enjoyed.  Thank goodness enough of those "eccentric" people have not been drugged normal yet so we can continue advancing as a civilization.
  • It's almost always NOT about you.
  • When it is about you, say and show you are sorry.
  • The focus of your daily attention is your current reality and the foundation of your future.
  • That future becomes your new reality much faster than you expect.
  • The focus of your daily attention is also your child's current reality, and becomes the foundation for the future reality of your grandchildren.
  • Making a child smile brings more light and warmth to life than anything else.
  • It is our choices, not our talents that show who we truly are. (Okay, I stole that one from Dumbledore, but it bears repeating daily!)
  • Having someone in your life who has been present throughout most of your history, and still likes you is an amazing gift.
  • Tomorrow is another day with no mistakes in it. (Okay, I stole that one from Miss Stacy, but I still have to go to sleep repeating it.)


I would greatly appreciate any other wisdom you can share as we say good bye to one year, and my learning continues in another.


Mary Kathryn Johnson
Author ~ Entrepreneur ~ Mom

@SayBumpandTweet
MommyLoves to Chat!
Everything MommyLoves
Say Bump and Take a Left



10 Comments

Opinions are Like...

8/13/2012

4 Comments

 
...you fill in that statement.
Respect
Mary Kathryn Johnson
Author ~ Entrepreneur ~ Mom

@SayBumpandTweet
MommyLoves to Chat!
Everything MommyLoves
Say Bump and Take a Left
4 Comments

Pencils vs. Pensions

12/30/2011

1 Comment

 
Pencils vs. Pensions
Picture this...

You walk into Target, and there is a perky, young thing holding a fabric-lined basket that matches her red shirt, greeting you with, "Would you like to make a donation to our organization today?  Your contribution will allow us to buy some much needed supplies like toilet paper, light bulbs and hangers for our displays.  Otherwise, we employees have to buy these things ourselves.  Every little bit helps, so whatever you can give is sincerely appreciated...(wink)"

You think to yourself, "What?!  Doesn't management supply those basic necessities for this place through the money they collect with sales? What a cheap place, asking me for a donation over and above what I already give them when I buy stuff!  Where is all their money going? I'm outta here..."

I know what you're saying...What an unrealistic, 'way out there' scenario, Mary...where are you going with this?

Okay, now picture your local public school.  If you have kids in public school, you don't have to imagine where I'm going.  How much have you given to your kids' classroom, and the school PTO/PTA to allow the students (your kid) to have basic tools for their job (aka learning)?  Pencils, Erasers, Glue, Paper, Markers, Tissues, Hand Sanitizer, Paper Towels...Buying junk during fundraisers for the purchase of a shade structure over the playground so the kids don't burn themselves on the metal while playing when school starts at the beginning of August and it's still 100 degrees...

Why do we think it's unrealistic and ridiculous for Target to ask for donations for basic supplies to keep the place running, but we just go along with our Public Schools doing so?  I know this is a complicated issue, with teachers salaries traditionally being poverty level, but even though the education of our kids doesn't make one a millionaire, thanks to the Teacher's Union, it aint poverty, baby! The lowest starting salary for an elementary school teacher is in North Dakota at $24,872/yr, and the highest is in Connecticut at $39,259/yr.*  Since the Federal Poverty Level for a family of 4 is $22,350**, if that teacher in North Dakota is a single parent of three children just starting out in the teaching profession, I would feel for them, but if they have a spouse with another income, I'd feel better.

Since most of the households who send their kids to the local private school (and many who do not) pay taxes to support said school, I can't imagine that the teacher salaries are the problem.  (I haven't addressed the benefits, like medical and retirement, however, which far outweigh current salaries in the school budget).  I applaud anyone who can get full medical benefits for themselves and their families...I wish I had them, and don't begrudge anyone who does.  I take issue with the retirement benefits, however.

Now, before my teacher friends on Facebook "unfriend" me and banish my kid to the back of the room with a dunce cap, hear me out, please.

In order to be a teacher one MUST belong to the Teacher's Union.  Therein lies the problem, I think.  Since I'm not a teacher, and don't belong to the union, I can't speak with any certainty or intelligence on the actual day to day goings-on of the organization.  I can only say that I don't think a union should be involved in any government agency or job.  A union is not a fair institution in a company where the employees can actually vote on who their boss is...why would anyone need protection from someone he/she actually chose as a boss, and can then fire a few years?!

I don't have the answers to the question, "So what do we do to change this?"  I can only start by removing all unions from public service positions, and giving full salaries to all government employees (including politicians) ONLY while they actually have the job, and not one day later.  Take the current retirement benefits program and use it to increase current salaries, so employees can invest in their own retirement programs.  This way, they can actually build their own wealth and leave something to their families if they so desire, rather than, when they die, allowing their retirement money to simply go to some other government retiree.

The political climate is hopefully changing faster than global warming, but real change will require the realization that we are all part of a community, and some of us cannot benefit greatly by the suffering of others without major consequences - hint...has anyone's lifestyle changed since 2007?  We have already proven that the current system doesn't work, so this is a call to action for the 'powers that be' to actually study "line by line" to find the inequities, and give us, the people paying for them, a chance to fix them.  Sure, a few people will scream when their undeserved riches are take away, but since when has this been a country 'of the few...for the few...by the few'?

Wait...I guess it is right now...

If you have a better idea on how to institute Federal and State change, please share.  At least one person is listening, and that's a start.

References:
*http://www.teacherportal.com/teacher-salaries-by-state
**http://www.coverageforall.org/pdf/FHCE_FedPovertyLevel.pdf

---Mary Kathryn Johnson 2011

1 Comment

Holiday Madness

12/8/2011

5 Comments

 
I Dare you to Open this Present!
It is very hard to resist buying everything you see for your baby's first holiday! Once your little bundle turns 5 and your house is bursting with legos or doll clothes, and never played with toys, you no longer have that urge to 'pick up just one more thing' - that's what Grandparents are for. Those very same Grandparents are probably the ones who continued the toy gluttony that got you into this mess, literally! Raising the Grandparents takes the same skill set as raising your munchkin - patience and consistency. My In-Laws are of the mindset that if they don't buy everything my boys want, my boys won't love them.

At least that is what it seems?! Luckily, I had a glimpse of my toy-related future when my first born was about a year old. Sitting up and interacting with his environment was the signal for Grandma and Grandpa to buy every supposedly fun toy on the market! That Christmas when my son was 16 months old was the worst of my life! Really! He had a meltdown after the third present. Then dad had a meltdown, then it was my turn. After our nap, we put away the rest of the unopened presents for another day. We actually dolled them out, one a month until there were no more. The more difficult task was dealing with the culprits in this caper - the Grandparents.

We laid down the law that they could give only TWO presents per holiday - including birthdays. The first holiday we got, "We forgot!" The second holiday we got, "We couldn't resist, look how much he loves them!" Then I got nasty. I told the smothering, aged children that if they did not keep to the two present limit, they would not be allowed to give any more presents for the next two years, and if they still tried to give presents, I would confiscate them and burn them no matter how much my soon-to-be spoiled brat son cried! That finally hit home, because they know me too well, and they kept to the limit. That is until Little Brother came along.

Needless to say, I have had to be vigilant at my post every holiday for the past 13 years - yes my oldest just turned 13, and those pesky, wannabe rebellious teenagers I call In-Laws have given me my best preparation for Middle School.

MIDDLE SCHOOL?! How the hell did I get here again?!

How do you handle the holiday gluttony?

(This is a repost from 2009, and I'm still monitoring those rebellious Grandparents!)

---Mary Kathryn Johnson 2011

5 Comments

Uncommon Political Common Sense Part 2

12/7/2011

0 Comments

 
Uncommon Political Common Sense Part 2
Serving as a Federal or State Politician is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serving their term(s), then going home and back to work. Do you know of any Politician who has actually worked at a job for more than 5 years?

I think the following should happen immediately:

1. No Federal or State Politician will receive any pension or tenure for his/her time in any political office. A Politician collects a salary while in office, and no pay from the American people when out of office.

2. Every Politician (Past, Present and Future) participates in Social Security. All funds in any political retirement fund move to Social Security immediately, and the accounts are then canceled.

3. Every Politician has the right to purchase his/her own retirement plan just like every other American Citizen.

4. No Political body can ever vote themselves any pay raise. The position held will receive a pay raise each year that is equal to 3%.

5. The only Health Care provided to any Politician is that which is also available to any other American Citizen.

6. Every Politician must abide by every law that is also imposed upon every other American Citizen.

7. Any contract made with any Politician during his/her time in office will be void as of 1/1/12, and no contract can be entered into during a Politician's time in office.

If you agree or disagree, please let me know. If you agree, please tell me how we can make these things happen immediately . . . not twenty years from now.

Next we can tackle the Unions in the Public Sector.

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    Hi, I'm Mary, a woman constantly working toward becoming a Master of herself and all things named Duane, Evan, Riley, Seren, Linus and Katie ~ that's why it's so messy around here.


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