Home at last! This has been a wild and unpredictable ride at times but it's over. We are Jewish. Well, the kids and I are. John chose not to convert at this time. Whether or not he does is a matter for him to decide but he supports us and that's all that matters. My conversion was Saturday night (just 4 days after surgery) and the kids were named on Sunday. Mom came to visit and be a part of our joy which was important to us. Being a military family means we are always away from family and it's nice to have someone from the family make the effort to come for something that is important to us. (Of course we recognize that is not always possible.) Anyway, we are Jewish now, we all have Jewish names and we maintain a Jewish home. I couldn't be any happier with our decision. We will move to Montgomery Al soon but I will stay connected to this Temple here by being the newsletter editor for them which is nice. If I will miss anything about this area, this temple and its members are it.

On another note, I've been mulling over the current state of our country and what's amiss...and it's less a Democrat/Republican issue....and not a Liberal/Conservative one either. It's Capitalism run amok that is causing trouble. I see no way for this to change unless we have a Revolution so it's time to make plans to live in a world where prices rise unchecked all the while the Democrats are trying to heap on more income taxes and the Republicans are giving huge tax breaks to the ultra-rich. So it's time for all able bodied people to get their rear ends in gear and do something.

The something I think needs to be done is a reorganization of our society to a move back to a pseudo-tribal one. We have 6 years until retirement from the USAF and after that we have to make a decision about where to go and what to do. My dream is to create a co-housing/compound living property with like-minded people where a portion of the land is devoted to growing food. Vegetables and fruits...nuts and seeds. Animals grown for meat in the most compassionate and comfortable way possible. This will be a place where we will function as a society within the larger society. Pitching in and helping each other with child care, farming, chores etc...the way life used to be minus the cholera and the religious extremism.

I believe this is the way our socitey must go to save itself and I'm devoting this next 6 yrs to making sure this can happen. So much must be decided, so much money raised...so much to do but having a plan makes it all the more doable. Why do this with other people? Because I've longed for connection for the last 14 yrs and I want that when we stop moving around for the USAF. I want the kids to grow up with a giant extended family, socialize with kids who have families that look like ours, to know what life can be like when people live in peace and with understanding. Pipe dream? Perhaps. But it's one worth nuturing.