Home, Home on the Range

Home is a tricky word. Is it where you were born? Where you grew up? Where you've lived the longest? Where you live now? Home is where your heart is, so your real home's in your chest (Captain Hammer). I think it's easy to accumulate homes but it's hard when your current plot just doesn't make the cut. Despite having lived in the prairies for nearly three years, I find myself referring to Ohio and Southern Indiana as home. I've had a hard time grafting myself into this clay soil. Maybe it's how many times Buddy Holly and I have moved in those short three years. Maybe it's the fact that I never really imagined myself here to begin with. It is taking time but I am coming to call this home. I find myself saying "ya'll," I talk to my house and genuinely miss it when I'm away, and I'm beginning to think only mountains could improve on those sweeping sunsets.

But really, I think it's people that make your home. It's challenging for me to be so far from my natal family and I dearly miss my Belle and Pocahontas. But Buddy Holly, Drake, and Elena are my home. I will follow him, follow him wherever he may go. And I have had so many wonderful individuals make this patch of the Plains more homey. It's hard being a forward-thinking, progressive, bleeding heart liberal in redneck territory and I really don't think I could claim this land as my land without the likes of other like-minded folks. Where would I be without Miss Right? How could I survive mundane Mondays without coffee time with Charlotte and Esmeralda? With whom else can I share elucidating conversations about Mao Zedong, Sarah Palin, Henry VIII, and Downton Abbey - all before ten in the morning? And though she's gone to God's Country (apparently that's in Ioway), my first years in the Plains would have been rough ridin' without Kari.

Anyway, I guess what I'm trying to get around to is that my mother always told me to bloom where I'm planted. I'm just thankful for the companions that make this garden more lovely.

My Tea Party

I am what my father refers to (in less than affectionate tones) as a "bleeding-heart liberal". I was the only one of the four children to attend a liberal arts college (Snur attended a private college but not liberal arts), I am the only one who votes predominantly Democrat (as far as I'm aware), and I avoid most social justice and political discussions with my family because I know it's not going to end well. I love my family, never doubt that, but I know I'm different and I'm happy about it. That being said here are some Tea Partiers and why they aren't invited to my tea party:
Lamar Smith: Imposing US law globally
Rick Scott: If it's not math and hard science, it's not worthy of funding
Feel free to debate, discuss, I'd prefer not arguing since that tends to get emotional. By all means, if you can provide me a solid reason why Science is more important than the Arts, that isn't financially based, be my guest.

People I am considering inviting to my tea party:
Britain
I'm not sure how to feel about this one. On the one hand, yes, go you for making a stand in social rights. On the other hand, people both homosexual and heterosexual will continue to struggle and the aid given by Britain may directly and positively impact their lives. If the support isn't there, well, that's no bueno. I suppose you have to do something though. Otherwise you are just funding a government that marginalizes and oppresses its people. Thoughts, comments, considerations?