we wear seat belts to be safe and keep others safe, whether we know them personally, or not. We do not drink and drive because it will probably cause harm to us or to others we may or may not know. Wear a mask because we know it will hurt you and others you may or may not know, if you don’t. The quicker you do this the quicker the covid will go away. If you don’t, sooner or later, someone you care about will be ill and so on and so on and so on…..We have everything to gain and everything to lose.

It was 56 this morning….good sleeping too. The sun is warming up our patio and the birds are over at the neighbors having breakfast. The sun goes down earlier now and wakes up later…the subtle signs summer is slipping away.

Beans and corn are drying and their deep green is fading to bright yellow with tinges of gold. You can smell the aroma of fall when you drive by the giant machines (the GPS, and AC, and music) harvesting crops.

Our large garden on church grounds is disappearing daily…First the sweet corn, then the squash and melons, and now it is beans and tomatoes still blooming but wanting to rest this winter. I hate to see them go because I enjoyed being with them all summer. From the first double leaves of beans, corn, okra, and melons, to the 7′ stalks of corn we spent many quiet hours weeding and picking together. Across the road the fainting goats and the rooster who crows 24/7 and the mules keep me company. The bees have had a wonderful time and have produced 130 lbs of honey. They balked a little when the beekeeper extracted their honey but now they have settled down nicely.

The trees are losing their summer green and little hints here and there show the season is changing. I remember many seasons in my 76 years and am so glad to have spent the summer and fall here in Indiana. The warmth of friends and family and home,amid the covid times is especially comforting as the temperatures cool down.

Soon there will be lots of leaves to shuffle through and rake….no fires anymore in the city limits , but that doesn’t stop the wonderful smell of spices coming from the neighbor’s apple pies, and the bonfires with marsh mellows and hot dogs.

So take another look at your town, your neighborhood, and the miles of produce America offers up to feed the world and be thankful for every moment, every smell, and every seed that becomes that 2 leafed starter plant magically becoming corn and beans for all of us. Hope you come and visit me again. later

check on my word press every couple of days.,…interested in seeing people from China looking at this page…even tho the posts are old…..yes, am going to start again soon….have too much stuff rolling around in my head and need to get it on a page….so…back to china…who are you and what are you seeking….is it history or politics or everyday life or the stupid things going on with race here in the United States….give me a hint and we will talk…..more…. later

NEVER FORGET…NEVER FORGET…..NEVER FORGET

this will be short and sweet….more will follow…God is love…If you remember that, you will be fine. Do not be afraid of him…or his son. They are love. Why this world is the way it is….we will discuss that later. It is the season to forgive, to make a commitment to do unto others and love your neighbor as yourself. Nothing else matters….Have a wonderful season….whatever positive belief you have….God knows his name by the name you call him.

Been taking an interest in what Episcopalians are discussing…whether it is an opinion on a color at a certain time, or just wanting to know what other Episcopal churches do. It has been very interesting. I know the younger ages are walking away from church…not so much religion, but church….all over. We had quite a discussion about this in the summer, after a talk on the same thing. It does not necessarily speak to the Episcopal Church, but to all churches of all types.

I am having a few lightning bolts myself, even at 76…and you know, I kind of like them. I am looking very close to what has made me be me with regard to God. All these 76 years have been filled full of church ideas, bible ideas and teachings, true or untrue, fact or fiction, and do I care or not care when the day is done.

My first realization is that I received a good foundation, although at the time I didn’t care or worry about it one way or the other. I did not have a choice about Sunday school…or church. We went. Period. There was no soccer, no baseball, no rugby on Sunday mornings to insist on attendance or be off the team. Good news on that one…..big reason why today’s kids are way too busy for Sunday school. No choice when I was little.

Sunday school and church necessity was not only for the little ones…..it was just as important for mom and dad…..and that is big. You were excused if you were on your death bed…otherwise, out the door at 9:30. It was a commitment by everyone in the family AND in the neighborhood and in our town. Can you imagine. Yep, everyone went….yep it was the 50’s. All church parking lots full, not setting in the driveway

So just speaking about this one little thing…..that was the foundation…the beginning, the rule, the commitment, the right thing to do……It led the way for so many other things that fell into place later on….because…we went….It was and is the beginning to understand the word….the words we have come to believe and some that we have just said…..”I don’t know, I wasn’t there”.

later

In every home I’ve lived in, and most I’ve visited, there has been what I call the ‘3rd drawer’ in every one.  Maybe it was a box in the closet, or the bottom drawer to the left of the stove, or by the washer in the utility room.  No matter where, it was the ‘one drawer’ that kept our lives going in an orderly fashion.  When one had the ‘3rd drawer, one had the answer to all the problems of the world, because that is what if felt like when those maddening situations arose…and they do, every day, in every house.

I am speaking of the drawer, shoe box, laundry bag, and if really not needy, the pencil holder, that holds everything needed in case of any emergency…noting that ’emergency’ an be in the eye of the beholder.

In my 3rd drawer are the following items…..envelopes, stamps, stapler, staple puller, staples, black, pink, and blue markers, paper clips, small, medium and large (3″ don’t know where that came from), singe side and double sided scotch tape (double side is to  tape your blouse closed when ‘the girls’ don’t fit just perfectly), pencils, erasers, tacks in 2 colors, those little plastic things that you screw into your mattress when you have a dust ruffle, eye glass repair kit, playing cards, rubber bands from all the newspapers since 2017, exacto knife, 2 or 3 scissors,  Tide spotting pen, part of a tape roll for a calculator, a ball that glows in the dark, a Ferminator,  a beautiful  top for a lamp, index  cards for all the recipes you are going to copy, receipts, 3 tape measures, plastic covers for the bottom of your chairs so they won’t scratch the wood floor, 3 flashlights, a hammer or two, one with and without a nail puller, 5 different kinds of nails including the ones for shingles cause they have large heads for hanging stuff, 5 screwdrivers of all sizes and shapes, an opener for the lock on the bathroom door in case it is locked accidently from the inside, 2 rulers, one a wonderful antique showing all the different types of wood, all inlaid….post-its, a head light so you can be hands free, those clips you use to keep the ironing board cover in place, Jobe’s house plant sticks, pricing tags, 4 sizes of corks, 5 different types of glue, cigar lighter, and lighter fluid, box of erasers, 3 magnifying glasses, taper with a roll of tape, 3 hole punch, and last but not least by a long shot, 3 sizes of batteries from Costco!   (I feel like saying ‘and a partridge in a pear tree’)

Needless to say, I love my 3rd drawer.  There is no better feeling to say ‘3rd drawer’ when the most ridiculous requests comes from down the hall.  I bet God has a 3rd drawer!      later …..b

Now I have to be the first to admit, it has been a while since I’ve posted, in fact a long long while…so the small viewings I have received have been just what I expected.  I write a lot, not necessarily on Word Press, so sometimes I am just not in the mood.  Well…when I ‘passed thru’ my site this morning….40+ people, aliens, bears, don’t know what, had visited me today!  Dang, welcome!  Glad you passed by and stop by again, cause I promise to begin letting stuff fall out of my brain.

Later……am going to post about the ‘3rd drawer’

I’m only 75 so I don’t have the predictions down pat yet…as far as timing, but the unhappy people of the world…will be here! And soon…

All the arguments we have heard, throughout our lives, are, for the most part valid. Unhappy people, whether they are hungry, forgotten, angry, persecuted, or lazy will always be looking for a better situation. Let’s face it…people who are pretty well off, compared to the above, are looking for a better situation too.  An even more dire truth is that some people (out of the billions on this earth) are, by the luck of the draw, born into a good situation, i.e. the USA and other countries who have respect for their citizens…and that luck can always change with the leaders of that country or territory.

The US seems to be the best place for all…according to the outsiders look’in in when it comes to finding a new home.  We Americans know that ….at least most of us.

This is the era of not wanting to be wrong, or being thought of as wrong. so it is the era of not doing anything that would let another apply blame. Instead of that making everything right….it makes everything wrong!

So, down the road, here is my shot at what will occur…

The fight will continue between parties unless some of the following happen during Trump’s second two years.  No reason not to..cause nothing bad has happened.

The hundreds or thousands of people now planning to come from south of the US border and yes into South America and yes, from anywhere who can get to those places……will grow and grow and grow…Apathy will continue to feed that fire and those willing to move north, both good and no so good…will laugh and laugh and laugh.  They have beaten the odds of making it by just massing on one side of a fence that no one wants to control or worry about. That wonderful door is wide open and believe me, they will come in.

Either we will decide to close our borders to the south and begin watching and therefore watching carefully who comes in (as we have voted for) or we will sit back in our chair of comfort thinking NIMBY and let them ALL in, regardless of what they are coming in for.

Regardless of what we do in the south…those seeking a better spot love or a better spot to destroy will turn to Canada, as a marvelous way of entering.  You thought the southern border was easy, wait til they go for the north….A piece of cake.  And that is because we have a good neighbor who is doing her best to keep her border safe, and Canada is a happy place.

By then we will, as things look now, have an influx from the southern border and having had the light bulb come on regarding responsibility to US citizens first, the road to law, order, jobs, food, medical care, and schools will have been set back years, not months or weeks, as is the case right now.

Having losing control to the south, thousands of people, some deserving, some not, will begin to clog up the system. Those who wanted as many as possible in their back yard will now see it full of people with no job ability, no will to work, demanding medical care, and most of all, going on and loving the rolls of those who  get all the ‘free stuff’., we Americans so willingly offer to those in ‘real need’ here in America.

Before you start screaming about how mean I am….never think that I do not cry for those who are genuinely in need of medical care, a safe place to lay their heads,  and food. We see so much giving here in the US, as well as the many dollars sent overseas for the health and care of those whose governments who put power/money/graft first before their own people.

If we are to curtail this disaster, we must gather together and unify to guard our borders which includes, people, fair laws, timely checks of those wanting to enter, and a program to get them into a productive mode of life.

As long as countries choose to hurt their citizens, there will always be people fleeing for a better life…..The leaders of these countries must become responsible for their own through negotiation, and reduced funding that goes to graft.  If the borders were opened in and out of North Korea, how many people do you think would stay? Not too many now, but if it were bulging with success like South Korea, the population would be happy to build their lives there.

Look into France, Germany, and Italy.  Men and boys from certain countries will go to school because….they will not be taught by a woman…and that is just one situation.  Refugees living on the country’s funding make more and have a better life than those who are citizens! One can see the anger rising every day.

You know why all these people are coming north…..and crossing into our country…because they can. Not because they are needed, not because they want to be educated, not because they want to be American citizens, not because they want follow the democratic type of government…..it’s because they can.  Once they are here…as it stands now, they are here….

It will continue….until we put America first. When that is accomplished, we will be able to legally and carefully welcome those in dire need of a new home.  The price of Freedom is much too high to throw away to those who are not willing to pay for it.

later

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Before I begin this fraud/scam episode (there will be more)….I want to compliment Amazon and Chase on their interest in this situation. As far as Direct….business as usual…no comment, no interest no question asked, no questions answered. Integrity wins …. Amazon A+ Chase A+…Direct F

This odyssey began last week when I received a call from who I thought was Direct TV. Direct and I (along with others, have been at odds regarding their raising of rates…. chose not to purchase additional services from AT&T. I was notified some months before offering the service and told there would be a rate increase with my Direct if I chose not to buy. Well, they were not kidding about the rate increase. It was not quite double what my rate was….also an agreement was ending

So I called for a conversation regarding what I or ‘we’ could do to adjust the rate back down to what I call reasonable. After a lengthy conversation, their idea of reasonable and mine were way way apart. I asked why, after all the years of being a Direct customer, they were not overjoyed that I continued to WANT to be a Direct customer….and why I should be ‘penalized’…. no comment…

Time out……Without a doubt I realize that I am always—always speak to someone with no authority to grant better rates. I get that…but one has to start somewhere and the main number is the only place to go.

From time to time I will comment on phone calls and responses that I, and my friends and neighbors have taken part in, to try to get better rates….

Today is a ‘lead’ on the saga of the past week. A far as I am concerned….’it ain’t over til it’s over’ although I am smart enough to know the money is gone and I am ultimately the one who did it.

What is interesting, I think, is how it was done, the timing, and the information they had about me—before calling….

So…..fair warning…if anyone calls about a promo between ATT/Direct and Amazon….take every piece of info down, and make a file….maybe we can catch them.

When talking with Direct, they assured me they had no promotion with Amazon…..”AND THEY WOULD CALL ME IF THEY DID”? Yep, that makes everything clear, okay, and understandable and safe. thanks Direct, for all you do….

later