We took the kids downtown for the Des Moines Tea Party. What a great day to remember what our country is all about - freedom! Thank you to all the soldiers presently serving and over the last 233 years who have fought to maintain our independence.

I've been doing a lot of reading lately, and one thought I keep coming back to is that our founding fathers were very well-read. Not necessarily well-educated (although some certainly were), but very well-read. They didn't just let others tell them what to think. They sought out knowledge. Whether you agree with my particular views or not, I encourage everyone to read and find out for yourselves. I just finished "The 5000 Year Leap" and highly recommend it. Next will be "Fountainhead" (which I've already read once, but Curtis is listening to an audio version, so I need to refresh myself so we can rehash it). And then "The Forgotten Man," "American Progressivism," "Common Sense" (Thomas Paine version), and "Common Sense" (Glenn Beck version).

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!