Category: Random Thoughts

Happy Thanksgiving 2021

I have had several folks respond to my wishing them a “Happy Thanksgiving” with some variation of “not much to be thankful for this year…”

I get it.

These are darker days than our nation faced faced in quite some time. Definitely the darkest times I can recall. My Mom agrees that she can’t remember a worse time for our nation.

Just remember that no matter how tough the times are compared to past years and decades we still have it pretty good here socially and economically.

Compared to many (maybe most) nations, we still have it pretty good here economically. I remember when we were hiking in the mountains of southern Mexico one family proudly offered for us to stay in their home. Their home consisted of an indentation in the canyon wall with hand woven blankets on wooden poles to keep out (some) of the elements. They were considered to have the nicest home in the community because there was a natural spring that fed water directly to a small basin within their home. They didn’t have to hike to get water. Nightly summertime temperatures at that elevation were generally well below freezing. Despite living in such primitive conditions they were better off than many we encountered on that trip.

While those in control of the nation are making it more and more difficult to maintain our traditional beliefs we face nothing even close to what many in the world face. I worked for an organization for a time that helped translate and smuggle Bibles into countries where Christianity was illegal. Smuggling a Bible into some of these countries carried a more severe penalty than smuggling heroin yet the local Christians found ways to gather and worship even if it meant doing so in secret. It is a pretty rare week when I don’t see a news report out of Africa where Christians are murdered for their faith.

Do we have a fight on our hands to protect our way of life and win our country back? Absolutely.

Are things likely to get worse before they get better? Most likely.

Nevertheless, we have so very much to be thankful for.

As for me, I am so very thankful for the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross to pay the price for my sins. He paid my debt so that I can be a part of God’s family. For a limited time on this Earth and for eternity when my time here is through.

He has blessed me with an amazingly wonderful wife. I have been privileged to help raise four amazing children and experience the wonder of seven grand children. I have a home, a vehicle, a job and (more than) enough to eat.

Life is good and I am both blessed and tremendously thankful for that.

God bless everyone.

Sound Of Silence…

Veteran’s Day was originally Armistice Day, celebrating the end of World War I on November 11, 1918 at 11:00 AM. President Eisenhower changed it in 1954 to a day to honor all US veterans.

This is an audio recording of the end of WWI from The Imperial War Museum:

Take care and God bless.

Spending Some Time That Matters

I may not have made it to the gym today (or this week) but the time was fairly well spent, in my opinion.

I could have made it home in time to work out (as planned) on Tuesday but then I would have missed taking my youngest daughter to dinner for her birthday. Although I missed seeing her girls (they were with deadbeat dad) I was able to spend some quality time with her. Probably the first quality father/daughter time we’ve had since her oldest was born…eight years ago.

I could have made it to the gym this morning but I would not have been able to go visit son in law (Moose) at his work and then spend some time listening to the wind in the trees and hoping for an unwary pig or deer to wander into view.

Yes, it is important for me to get in better shape. Yes, I’ll likely live longer and possibly have more of these moments that matter if I spend more time in the gym but time spent with those I love matter as well. They are good for my soul, good for my heart and can be good for those I invest my time in.

By all means train and prepare but don’t waste the present either.

Take care and God bless.

20 Years And We Are Already Forgetting And Failing

I wish I could say that we, as a nation, would never forget the events of 9/11; the World Trade Centers, the skies over Pennsylvania, the Pentagon, Benghazi. I am afraid that is not the case. Not only have many (maybe even most) Americans forgotten the terror, brutality and horror of those events, some will even defend and lift up those who committed these acts, including our current ruling junta.

In the wake of these events and the responses to them our nation has not only stumbled but has tripped and is falling, face first, into self-destruction. In the last twenty years we have become used to the stripping away of our rights in the name and for the illusion of security and safety. We have become so accustomed to the lies, deceit and corruption of our “leadership” that we merely shrug and move on in acceptance that no one will be held accountable.

We are bombarded with a constant stream of doublespeak and lies from them. Half our nation accepts it as gospel like the subjects of INGSOC in George Orwell’s 1984. The remainder shake their heads and express a moment of righteous indignation then move on with their lives. We, as a nation, are ether deceived or content to kick the proverbial can down the road ignoring what is happening around us.

We are failing every patriot who sacrificed to bring forth and protect those crazy ideas espoused by a bunch of revolutionaries in thirteen British colonies.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

Today, we are praying for the victims of these terrible tragedies. We are praying for all those served our nation and those who gave their lives fighting in the ensuing wars to try and protect us and keep us safe.

May God bless and keep you all.

Stay alert, stay prepared and stay safe.

Responses To Texas’ New Laws

The Texas legislature has managed to pass several new laws that the Republican/Conservative voters who elected these jokers to Austin have been demanding for quite some time.

Texas has passed “Constitutional Carry,” which allows anyone who is legally able to purchase a firearm to be able to carry it, open or concealed, without a special license. It is about time. For all the impression people have of gun rights, this is an area where Texas does not lead. At least 20 other states have enacted such legislation before we did here in the Lone Star state. So far, there has been little reaction to this law from the Federal government or other states.

The Texas Heartbeat law, which makes illegal to perform or assist in the performance of an abortion after a fetal heartbeat has been detected (sort of) on the other hand has resulted in a firestorm. At least one CEO has been terminated for having the gall to share his support for the law. Ride share service Lyft has promised to cover the legal fees of any drivers who are taken to court for assisting in an illegal abortion. Hollyweird, of course, is calling for protests, bans and boycotts. The wonderful city of Portlandia (formerly known as the city of roses but now better know for rioting) is looking to ban travel to and the trade of goods and services from Texas by city government and employees. The reaction from the Federal government has been most threatening. Joe Biden who couldn’t care in the least about abandoning Americans to the hands of the Taliban has promised the full weight of his ruling junta will be brought to bear on Texas for passing this law. His STASI Department of (in)Justice is already moving to use a 1994 law that protects those seeking or providing abortions from obstruction or threats of physical harm to attack the law and anyone who enforces it. They are attempting to classify this new law as “violence” against those seeking to obtain or provide reproductive health services.”

Today, Governor Abbot signed the Election Integrity bill, making it law. This is the law that drove Demonrat representatives out of Texas to avoid a quorum and the passage of the law (sort of). In actuality, this is a different law by the same name to bamboozle voters into thinking they are getting what they asked for. I haven’t seen any responses on this one but after the firestorm that the Georgia law generated, I am sure it is coming.

All three of these new laws and the reactions they have engendered are indicative of the increasing divide in this nation. There is less and less common ground between the left and the right. Either this nation will split (relatively) peacefully or one side or the other (maybe both) will be destroyed. The left can not coexist with the right. They will not be satisfied until their woke, communist vision of this nation is fully implemented. Those who disagree with them will be silenced; through coercion (bullying), through governmental force or through violence (Antifa, BLM or government agencies). We can protect ourselves by separation, we can submit, or we can fight and many will die. Those are the only choices left.

Stay alert, stay prepared and stay safe.

God bless.

Up Close With COVID – Update

Well, the last few days have been something…

…something I’d rather not go through again.

Wonderful Wife tested positive and was in the Emergency Room the next day when her O2 levels began to drop. They x-rayed her chest looking for pneumonia, checked her heart, gave her some strong anti-inflamatories (for her lungs) and put her on oxygen (to bring here O2 levels up). We then had to wait over ten hours for a home oxygen system to be available for her to come home. She seems to be recovering pretty well now and is on the oxygen for short and shorter periods of time.

Our oldest daughter is also recovering well. In fact, I have a sneaking suspicion my daughter was far better, far earlier than she let on.

My little granddaughter is also positive. Thankfully, her symptoms have been pretty mild.

The night after Wonderful Wife was released my symptoms got much worse; cough, congestion, body aches, ear pain, malaise/tiredness. The next morning I went to the doctor and tested positive. He prescribed another round of antibiotics, and steroids. So far, it seems to be working and I am feeling better.

At this point we are essentially one big, happy COVID family.

Though this whole thing we have all had the same symptoms, to varying degrees, but some of us have tested positive and a (dwindling) few have not.

It has been an interesting couple of weeks (I don’t mean that in the good way) and we are not out of the woods but maybe, just maybe we are now all on the mend.

Stay alert, stay prepared and stay safe.

God bless.

Up Close And Personal With (Maybe) COVID

Due to Wonderful Wife’s position we spent most of 2020 locked in the house. She went back and forth to work. We stayed in. Groceries were picked up via touch-less delivery. The (very) rare times we ate anything besides home cooked foods were the occasional, I do mean occasional, drive through pickup or touch-less delivery. As a truck driver, idiot son in law #1 (Varmint) came and went but when distanced ourselves from him, oldest daughter and grand kids during and after each visit. Everything was sanitized after his visits and at least weekly between them.

As a result, we passed through that year or so with no one in the house catching COVID. Our middle daughter did, probably from her work (she is a teacher) but no one else in her house tested positive and she made it through fairly easily although her taste buds are still out of whack.

When Wonderful Wife lost her job and we no longer posed a risk to the elderly residents she was responsible for, we began easing back into real life. It was weird at first going out at all, whether we were masked or not. We soon adapted to the new, and frankly ridiculous, rules and our lives went back to as close to normal as these times allow.

Until about two weeks ago.

My grandson’s fifth birthday party was as close to “normal” as it can get these days. Most of my kids were here, their spouses and my grand kids all back to being one big dysfunctional family except Moose, not-idiot, son in law. He mostly stayed away as he was feeling a bit under the weather.

A couple of days after the party we learned that two of my grandsons had tested positive for COVID. They had a rough couple of days but were back on their feet in no time. Moose was still sick but testing negative for COVID. Middle daughter, who already had COVID, was also feeling bad. Wednesday Wonderful, Wife was down with the same symptoms as everyone else and by Saturday morning I was in the (minor) Emergency Room. Keep in mind Wonderful Wife is fully vaxed (a work requirement while she was employed) and none of us tested positive except the boys.

Note: for some reason, no one is giving the PCR test around here. It is only possible to be tested with the “rapid test” which we are warned is only 60-70% accurate…why?

Wonderful Wife, Moose, middle daughter and I never tested positive but we all shared the same symptoms as the boys and here we are a week later and are still feeling like cr@p. One of those was vaxed and one was previously positive and should have had the antibodies.

As of yesterday, our oldest daughter who lives with us started feeling the symptoms and with 18 hours was bedridden and testing positive. Wonderful Wife and I are now trying to recover and take care of a very sick daughter and her very active kids (3 and 5).

It is so weird. We all have had the same symptoms but only some of us are testing positive. Until oldest daughter, those of us who did not test positive have been hit really hard and are having the slowest recovery. Given her general health condition, we are very, very worried about her.

I don’t have any insights based on all this rambling. I just thought I would share. Maybe one of you can make some sense of it.

Stay alert, stay prepared and stay safe.

God bless.

One Of The Few Supporting The Many

According to the newly release figures, 61% of Americans didn’t pay income taxes last year. With the COVID unemployment rates and such the ranks of non-taxpayers increased by 40% last year!

Being one of the 39% carrying the load for the rest of the country is not something I have ever aspired to…

How much longer can the few continue to carry the load for the many?

Stay alert, stay prepared and stay safe.

God bless.