While many spend will spend the last day of the year at a New Year's Eve party awaiting the coming of the New Year, I will be at a watchnight service with my Christian brotherns and sisters awaiting the return of Christ. Do I believe he will come at midnight? The odds are stacked against it but as each day goes by we are one day closer to His coming to get his church. The watchnight service is just a way to remind ourselves the importance of waiting and watching for His promised return.
There will be a guest preacher, Time Pope, our pastor, Charles Garrett, and several other preachers there would will deliver messages.
I wish all of you could be there.
Monday, December 29, 2014
Saturday, December 27, 2014
Thursday, December 25, 2014
You are built for jail
I don't know exactly what that means except it has to do with race relations and black men going to jail because they are black. From what I have experienced over my lifetime is that our parents didn't teach us to be prejudice. That is something we are born unto as a survival instinct. We have to be taught not to judge people except by who they really are. At school we call it bullying because you pick on the kid that is different. No ones parents taught them to pick on the fat kid, or the skinny kid, or the tall child, or the ugly child, or the child that is different from you. We have all done this at least once in our lives even if we want to deny it. Sometimes bullying goes to far and we have to step up to make things right.
I remember the first time I took a school bus to a city school. I was just starting the 10th grade and with the exception of a lady that was hired to take care of my brothers and I for a couple of weeks when I was thirteen I had never seen a black person. I do remember the lady and I was fascinated by her. Not because she was black but because she was beautiful and told such sad stories.
Anyway, on my first day we passed the black neighborhood and there were several black children walking on the sidewalk and another kid yelled "hey chocolate drop". I asked him why he did that and he said because they were white on the inside and black on the outside, just like the candy chocolate drop. Well the next day I yelled out the window too but a couple of the children looked up at our school bus and I saw the look of hurt in their eyes. That made me feel really bad and I thought about those stories Geneva told me and I understood.
I went away to college and when I came back I went to the Community Center hoping to see some of my friends only to discover it was now a private club. A young kid was sitting on the wall along the walkway and looked so sad and I asked him what was wrong. He said he had hoped to join the community center but all the memberships had been sold.
I went up to the people checking membership passes and asked if it was okay if I just went in for a minute or two to see if any of my friends were there. They told me no but I could buy a membership and go in for as long as I liked. I remarked that I thought they didn't have any left. At lest, I said, that's what I was just told. Oh, you mean that young kid over there. Yea, we sale memberships to keep his kind out. I said, oh, okay and purchased a year membership. I then walked back to the kid and handed him my membership card and told him he was now a member.
I don't know what ever happened to him but I know what happened to me.
To be perfectly honest, I'm like most folks and I am cautions around people different that I am. I don't like rap music nor any music that anyone plays too loud. I will ask you to turn it down. I don't like saggy pants, body jewelry, tattoos, foul language, people who use illegal drugs, liars, thieves,
people who pretend to be something they are not and snobby folks. I like people who are clean, nicely dressed, and genuine.
You can be anyone you choose to be. It's none of my business but it is my business who I let into my world and who I choose to let in. A lot of folks don't like me because I'm conservative and I'm not charming. I'm not ugly but I'm not pretty either. I'm just about as average as a man can get in most aspects of my life. I prefer you go live your life and let me live mine.
Of course being white it is easier to sum up another white person. I don't judge whether they are a good person or not but only if I would consider letting them be part of my world. There is no circumstance under which I would deny any one respect even if I determine you are not they type of person I want to be friends with. yea, you are right. There are plenty of people with tattoos who were saggy britches and body jewelry who are perfectly nice, descent people who are as honest as the day is long. Never said there wasn't. I can't be friends with everyone. Neither can you.
I don't like someone just because they are white anymore than I would dislike someone because they aren't. that would not only make me a racist but I would also be a bully.
I remember the first time I took a school bus to a city school. I was just starting the 10th grade and with the exception of a lady that was hired to take care of my brothers and I for a couple of weeks when I was thirteen I had never seen a black person. I do remember the lady and I was fascinated by her. Not because she was black but because she was beautiful and told such sad stories.
Anyway, on my first day we passed the black neighborhood and there were several black children walking on the sidewalk and another kid yelled "hey chocolate drop". I asked him why he did that and he said because they were white on the inside and black on the outside, just like the candy chocolate drop. Well the next day I yelled out the window too but a couple of the children looked up at our school bus and I saw the look of hurt in their eyes. That made me feel really bad and I thought about those stories Geneva told me and I understood.
I went away to college and when I came back I went to the Community Center hoping to see some of my friends only to discover it was now a private club. A young kid was sitting on the wall along the walkway and looked so sad and I asked him what was wrong. He said he had hoped to join the community center but all the memberships had been sold.
I went up to the people checking membership passes and asked if it was okay if I just went in for a minute or two to see if any of my friends were there. They told me no but I could buy a membership and go in for as long as I liked. I remarked that I thought they didn't have any left. At lest, I said, that's what I was just told. Oh, you mean that young kid over there. Yea, we sale memberships to keep his kind out. I said, oh, okay and purchased a year membership. I then walked back to the kid and handed him my membership card and told him he was now a member.
I don't know what ever happened to him but I know what happened to me.
To be perfectly honest, I'm like most folks and I am cautions around people different that I am. I don't like rap music nor any music that anyone plays too loud. I will ask you to turn it down. I don't like saggy pants, body jewelry, tattoos, foul language, people who use illegal drugs, liars, thieves,
people who pretend to be something they are not and snobby folks. I like people who are clean, nicely dressed, and genuine.
You can be anyone you choose to be. It's none of my business but it is my business who I let into my world and who I choose to let in. A lot of folks don't like me because I'm conservative and I'm not charming. I'm not ugly but I'm not pretty either. I'm just about as average as a man can get in most aspects of my life. I prefer you go live your life and let me live mine.
Of course being white it is easier to sum up another white person. I don't judge whether they are a good person or not but only if I would consider letting them be part of my world. There is no circumstance under which I would deny any one respect even if I determine you are not they type of person I want to be friends with. yea, you are right. There are plenty of people with tattoos who were saggy britches and body jewelry who are perfectly nice, descent people who are as honest as the day is long. Never said there wasn't. I can't be friends with everyone. Neither can you.
I don't like someone just because they are white anymore than I would dislike someone because they aren't. that would not only make me a racist but I would also be a bully.
I wished my brothers a merry Christmas
My older brother had no idea where is mother is. My younger brother actually called my nephews wife and asked her advice about what to do with Mom but never spoke to me about it and I had been her care giver for the past sixteen years and her son. Oh, he didn't wish me a merry Christmas either.
I know mom has a point when she justifies the youngest for taking her home after he promised to care for her. She says it isn't any fault of his because the bible says a man must leave his parents and cleave to his wife. That may be true but it doesn't excuse a man from making poor decisions, reneging on promises, ignoring his brother, and acting like a first class jerk.
First of all he should not have left the care od his mother to his wife. Secondly, he should have been aware of his wife's growing resentment of having to take care of his mother and taken steps to ease her burden. Third, when it became obvious that things were no going to work out he should have been more forth coming with information about the arrangements to bring her home so a plan of action could have been put into place for her care. Instead he just dumped her off at her house with no telephone, and no groceries and no one knowing exactly when he was bring her and hat he planned on doing or not doing.
He (or his wife, I don't know but the e-mail was issued in his name) it simple read 'Do you know Mom's telephone number?"
Really? No, how is Mom doing. Did she receive comfort from her hurt feelings and broken heart? Was anyone able to come by and bring her some food? No hoping she didn't fall and hurt herself with no way to call paramedics for help. Did she have any money to pay for anything she might need before family and friends could arrive to care for her since her youngest spend all her money and had control of all her accounts?
I figured if Mom wanted to talk to him or her eldest she could call them. But if she didn't it wasn't up to me to allow them to contact her. it was their need of privacy they threw her out to begin with so I wasn't going to be party to them invading hers.
Mom told me not to be mad at him for what his wife did. I told Mom I wasn't mad at him but I did have enough sense not to allow him to continue to play his hurtful games with us. No, I actually wished both my brothers a merry Christmas.
I know mom has a point when she justifies the youngest for taking her home after he promised to care for her. She says it isn't any fault of his because the bible says a man must leave his parents and cleave to his wife. That may be true but it doesn't excuse a man from making poor decisions, reneging on promises, ignoring his brother, and acting like a first class jerk.
First of all he should not have left the care od his mother to his wife. Secondly, he should have been aware of his wife's growing resentment of having to take care of his mother and taken steps to ease her burden. Third, when it became obvious that things were no going to work out he should have been more forth coming with information about the arrangements to bring her home so a plan of action could have been put into place for her care. Instead he just dumped her off at her house with no telephone, and no groceries and no one knowing exactly when he was bring her and hat he planned on doing or not doing.
He (or his wife, I don't know but the e-mail was issued in his name) it simple read 'Do you know Mom's telephone number?"
Really? No, how is Mom doing. Did she receive comfort from her hurt feelings and broken heart? Was anyone able to come by and bring her some food? No hoping she didn't fall and hurt herself with no way to call paramedics for help. Did she have any money to pay for anything she might need before family and friends could arrive to care for her since her youngest spend all her money and had control of all her accounts?
I figured if Mom wanted to talk to him or her eldest she could call them. But if she didn't it wasn't up to me to allow them to contact her. it was their need of privacy they threw her out to begin with so I wasn't going to be party to them invading hers.
Mom told me not to be mad at him for what his wife did. I told Mom I wasn't mad at him but I did have enough sense not to allow him to continue to play his hurtful games with us. No, I actually wished both my brothers a merry Christmas.
Wednesday, December 24, 2014
Surviving retirement
Yeah, I'm one of those who rely on Social Security for the majority of my income and my house isn't paid for. No, I don't work. But so far retirement has been a pleasure even though I can't take those extended vacations. Sometimes I feel envious of my friend Dave and his wife Chris. They have traveled up and down the east coast for 10 years now living in their RV and making friends and seeing many places. But to be honest I'm satisfied with my life.
Boredom is not a problem by any means and so far each year has been different. Actually my house payment is cheaper than the little duplex I was renting a few years back so making the payments isn't a serious burden. The first few years after I purchased my house I busied myself in landscaping and gardening and the last four years I have worked at the church clearing land, mowing and doing what needed to be done around the church. For two years I took care of Mom, doing her lawn, repairing her house and doing her shopping as well as helping take my mother-in-law to her doctor appointments. For sure those activities kept me busy.
Well my wife's mom passed away earlier this year and there isn't much landscaping to be done here anymore: it's just a matter of maintaining. There is still plenty to do around the church and my mom needs a little more care now than she had. My wife and I are both veterans so we get good care through the VA.
So far I am doing what I want to do and even though I am one of those living near poverty I still give about 15% of my income away (sometimes a little more and sometimes a little less). I can say that I am happy, healthy, and satisfied with how my life is going.
Boredom is not a problem by any means and so far each year has been different. Actually my house payment is cheaper than the little duplex I was renting a few years back so making the payments isn't a serious burden. The first few years after I purchased my house I busied myself in landscaping and gardening and the last four years I have worked at the church clearing land, mowing and doing what needed to be done around the church. For two years I took care of Mom, doing her lawn, repairing her house and doing her shopping as well as helping take my mother-in-law to her doctor appointments. For sure those activities kept me busy.
Well my wife's mom passed away earlier this year and there isn't much landscaping to be done here anymore: it's just a matter of maintaining. There is still plenty to do around the church and my mom needs a little more care now than she had. My wife and I are both veterans so we get good care through the VA.
So far I am doing what I want to do and even though I am one of those living near poverty I still give about 15% of my income away (sometimes a little more and sometimes a little less). I can say that I am happy, healthy, and satisfied with how my life is going.
Pennsylvania police find head on rural road, seeking body to match
Her mother always said she'd lose her head if it was tied on. I guess the knot came lose.
Monday, December 22, 2014
It's time to stop
I know police are not popular today and seemed to be actually hated by many people. I realize that there are some policemen out there that tarnish the badge and act as if they are above the law.
Often times we break the law and when we get caught we get mad at the police officer who caught us. Most often our dealings with the police are not beneficial to us as seldom do they have reason to deal with honest people. And yes, they make mistakes and sometimes people die because of those mistakes. Some times it's the bad guy that is killed but some times it's an innocent person who suffers.
There is no amount of reasoning that can make a bad cop behave correctly just as there is no reasoning with bad people to obey the law and act nice. But because one officer acted in a way we think was wrong has seemed to motivate people to boldly attack and kill police officers with no justification. if those that hate officers would really stop and think what life would be like without them then they wouldn't like the new reality. I firmly believe that if ever person was law abiding and there were no speeders or thieves or burglars, or murderers, or arsonists, or crooks, or insider traders nor any other kind of mischief maker we would still need a police force.
Why I believe this is simple. There will always be situations occur when we need someone of authority to take control of it. Sometimes there will be large gatherings of people and there is a need of someone to take control to come to the aid of a person suddenly stricken with an illness. A traffic light quit working and no one knows who should proceed. A sporting event is over and everyone is leaving in their vehicles at the same time. A sudden storm comes up and people don't know where to go for aid, cover, or shelter.
If we all did what we were supposed to do then there would be no police to misbehave. I think it is time we stop hating all police because when all is said and done they are more necessary than we really care to admit.
Often times we break the law and when we get caught we get mad at the police officer who caught us. Most often our dealings with the police are not beneficial to us as seldom do they have reason to deal with honest people. And yes, they make mistakes and sometimes people die because of those mistakes. Some times it's the bad guy that is killed but some times it's an innocent person who suffers.
There is no amount of reasoning that can make a bad cop behave correctly just as there is no reasoning with bad people to obey the law and act nice. But because one officer acted in a way we think was wrong has seemed to motivate people to boldly attack and kill police officers with no justification. if those that hate officers would really stop and think what life would be like without them then they wouldn't like the new reality. I firmly believe that if ever person was law abiding and there were no speeders or thieves or burglars, or murderers, or arsonists, or crooks, or insider traders nor any other kind of mischief maker we would still need a police force.
Why I believe this is simple. There will always be situations occur when we need someone of authority to take control of it. Sometimes there will be large gatherings of people and there is a need of someone to take control to come to the aid of a person suddenly stricken with an illness. A traffic light quit working and no one knows who should proceed. A sporting event is over and everyone is leaving in their vehicles at the same time. A sudden storm comes up and people don't know where to go for aid, cover, or shelter.
If we all did what we were supposed to do then there would be no police to misbehave. I think it is time we stop hating all police because when all is said and done they are more necessary than we really care to admit.
Elderly Abuse
Mom has been back at home for 12 days now. For those that haven't read my previous posts the story to date is this: Mom is 89, legally blind, and almost deaf and she has bladder control issues. It became obvious back in October that she wasn't capable of taking care of herself so I notified by two brothers. My older brother has financial power of attorney and my younger brother has financial and medical. I just take care of her as best as I can from 110 miles away. I call almost everyday and go take care of her at least once a month. I buy her groceries, do her yard work, and do maintenance on her home and run errands for her. My older brother has her two or three times a year and my younger brother calls her weekly but only chats for a few minutes. I talk to her as long as she needs me too.
Its been sixteen years since dad died and about four years since the state took Mom's driving privileges away. Her only living brother passed away a few months ago. Mom and Junior were close and his death was very hard on Mom.
Anyway my younger brother, the spoiled rich kid, swooped in to save the day. He wanted the three sons to split the cost of an assistant living facility but my share would have been from $100.00 to $300.00 more per month than I make and my older brother didn't want to help at all. Without any discussion my younger brother made the decision to move Mom to Ga. to live with him so he came, packed a few items for her and took her away.
His daily routine was to say hello in the morning and kiss her good night each evening and on occasion invite her to sup with the family but the majority of her time was spent in her room by herself. My brother and his wife each had their cellphones and shared the landline with Mom. The wife became Mom's caregiver which my brother took over all the others parts of her life. His wife controlled what and when she ate. The one thing she could not control was the number of friends Mom had and the fact they called her almost everyday.
As each day went by each phone call seemed to make my brother's wife madder and madder until one day she could take it no more. She called her husband on the phone and told him to take the old lady back to Hickory so he left work immediately, packed her up and took her home. I received an e-mail stating that other arrangements had to be made for her care but no information on when she would arrive or what was to be done for her when he got her home. He did cut the water back on for her and left her with a box of cereal and some milk. He has yet to inquire about her well being and my older brother has shown no interest in her welfare either.
I did receive an e-mail yesterday asking if I knew her new phone number. There was no inquiry as to how she was doing, no sympathy for her plight, nor concern about her whatsoever. I did respond to the email informing them that I do not give out phone numbers belonging to other people. I don't care if she is his mother, it should be her choice to talk with them or not. She can call him if she wishes and give him her number. She is deeply hurt by all that happened so how she handles things should be entirely up to her.
My older brother is now a widower, makes $35.00 an hour and works 60 hours per week and lives in a two thousand square foot house. He also draws social security. My younger brother makes more money than I ever dared dream of making and could have made better decisions regarding her care. I live on social security and have a disabled wife and a house that is probably smaller than my younger brothers living room but I would take her in if necessary. It would be extremely hard on my wife with all her physical disabilities as well as the lingering effects of her brain aneurysm.
I am not as upset with my sister-in-law even though she is the one who kicked Mom out of her house. My brother should never have stuck Moms care on her. Mom didn't need to be held prisoner in a rich mans bedroom either. What I had wanted to do was buy a place or rent a small apartment for Mom close enough to where I live so she could maintain her lifestyle yet close enough so I could give her daily care. When I first proposed this to her my two brothers complained that I was just trying to manipulate Mom so I could get her to live me all her assets. Even if that were true, which it wasn't, their involvement in Moms life would remain the same. One could call her every three or four months and the other could continue making his five minute weekly call. Both brother claim they have no interest in anything she owns anyway.
The only thing I care about is that my Mom is taken care of. I have been there for her for sixteen years now and her will still divides things equally so I just don't believe if she lived closer to me it would make any difference in whom gets what. If Mom ever changes her will it would be because of what they did or didn't do and would have nothing to do with me. Frankly I hope she leaves the will as it is so maybe after Mom is gone then my two brothers can live their life happy Mom is gone and they don't have to ever see me again.
I know you are probably wondering why my brothers don't like me. it's quite simple. My older brothers first wife had five children while married to him and he was the father of the first one only. he propositioned me one night and I turned her down so she got mad and told him I was the one who got her pregnant. Any reasonable man could figure out that I wasn't even in this country when she conceived and it didn't matter anyway as I have medical proof that I am unable to father children.
My younger brother is a jerk and has always been a jerk. When I was in the ninth grade members of the 7-8 grade basketball team came to me and said that my brother was a jerk and they wanted to kick his butt but out of respect for me they didn't. I told them not to let that stop them. Yea, I told my little brother but not for his safety but to protect my friends from getting into trouble because my brother was a jerk.
While he was a college professor I met one of his students and she admitted she disliked him
intensely. His first act as the new head of accounting at a big international company was to fire ever accountant that was under him because "they didn't know hat they were doing." Really? Everyone in the marching band was out of step but him. Amazing.
He was an officer stationed in South Carolina and lived with his wife and was able to continue school and obtain his masters degree .while I pulled two tours of duty in Vietnam and 36 straight months of overseas duty with out a single day of leave yet he claimed I had the easier duty because enlisted me got to decide if they wanted to follow his orders or not. He once told my father that the church he was pastor of was not good enough for him to attend. Once he sat on Moms couch with his feet extended straight in front of him so that when Mom was unloading the car she had to step over his feet to get by. he neither offered to help her nor to move his feet out of her way.
Once, as a Christmas present he gave me nothing while giving my wife and I a small display case about 5 inches high that had been reduced from $12.50 down to a buck seventy five. The jerkiest thing he ever did was at Thanksgiving. I had an idea that my parents myself and my two brothers would take turns hosting Thanksgiving. I had it the first year and he the second. Instead of just family he invited co-workers and friends and he sat with them in the main dining room. He sat my parents and my older brother in another room at a picnic table, and the children sat at a third table in what I suppose of the living room or family room. My wife and I were seated my ourselves in a hallway. Maybe he was offended because my wife was Oriental but that is no excuse to relegating my parents to a second rate table away from his friends and co-workers.
he always tried to blame me for us not being close. When Mom's sister was alive my brother would drive her from Hickory to Burlington to see her. On their way back home in would stop in Greensboro around two pm and call my house to see if they could stop by for a visit. Seriously? Almost everyone with a job is at work at 2 in the afternoon. Even if one worked second shift one could hardly accept company that was as yet 45 minutes away from your home. But he would always claim "I really wanted to see him." Well gosh, if you really wanted to see me why didn't you call the day before and see when it would be convenient or better yet a week or so in advance so maybe I could take a day off from work?
That's what he did when he would come to Hickory on his biyearly visit when he wanted to get together with my other brother to play golf. Me? He had Mom call me at 7am and asked me if I wanted to join my brothers for breakfast. Off course I live two hours away and they had already left home for the restaurant which they had forgotten to tell mom which one they were going to. But he could always claim he really wanted to see me.
Yeah, he's a jerk. Maybe I should have let the basketball team beat him up. I couldn't then and I couldn't do that now. But it is sweet to think aout.
Its been sixteen years since dad died and about four years since the state took Mom's driving privileges away. Her only living brother passed away a few months ago. Mom and Junior were close and his death was very hard on Mom.
Anyway my younger brother, the spoiled rich kid, swooped in to save the day. He wanted the three sons to split the cost of an assistant living facility but my share would have been from $100.00 to $300.00 more per month than I make and my older brother didn't want to help at all. Without any discussion my younger brother made the decision to move Mom to Ga. to live with him so he came, packed a few items for her and took her away.
His daily routine was to say hello in the morning and kiss her good night each evening and on occasion invite her to sup with the family but the majority of her time was spent in her room by herself. My brother and his wife each had their cellphones and shared the landline with Mom. The wife became Mom's caregiver which my brother took over all the others parts of her life. His wife controlled what and when she ate. The one thing she could not control was the number of friends Mom had and the fact they called her almost everyday.
As each day went by each phone call seemed to make my brother's wife madder and madder until one day she could take it no more. She called her husband on the phone and told him to take the old lady back to Hickory so he left work immediately, packed her up and took her home. I received an e-mail stating that other arrangements had to be made for her care but no information on when she would arrive or what was to be done for her when he got her home. He did cut the water back on for her and left her with a box of cereal and some milk. He has yet to inquire about her well being and my older brother has shown no interest in her welfare either.
I did receive an e-mail yesterday asking if I knew her new phone number. There was no inquiry as to how she was doing, no sympathy for her plight, nor concern about her whatsoever. I did respond to the email informing them that I do not give out phone numbers belonging to other people. I don't care if she is his mother, it should be her choice to talk with them or not. She can call him if she wishes and give him her number. She is deeply hurt by all that happened so how she handles things should be entirely up to her.
My older brother is now a widower, makes $35.00 an hour and works 60 hours per week and lives in a two thousand square foot house. He also draws social security. My younger brother makes more money than I ever dared dream of making and could have made better decisions regarding her care. I live on social security and have a disabled wife and a house that is probably smaller than my younger brothers living room but I would take her in if necessary. It would be extremely hard on my wife with all her physical disabilities as well as the lingering effects of her brain aneurysm.
I am not as upset with my sister-in-law even though she is the one who kicked Mom out of her house. My brother should never have stuck Moms care on her. Mom didn't need to be held prisoner in a rich mans bedroom either. What I had wanted to do was buy a place or rent a small apartment for Mom close enough to where I live so she could maintain her lifestyle yet close enough so I could give her daily care. When I first proposed this to her my two brothers complained that I was just trying to manipulate Mom so I could get her to live me all her assets. Even if that were true, which it wasn't, their involvement in Moms life would remain the same. One could call her every three or four months and the other could continue making his five minute weekly call. Both brother claim they have no interest in anything she owns anyway.
The only thing I care about is that my Mom is taken care of. I have been there for her for sixteen years now and her will still divides things equally so I just don't believe if she lived closer to me it would make any difference in whom gets what. If Mom ever changes her will it would be because of what they did or didn't do and would have nothing to do with me. Frankly I hope she leaves the will as it is so maybe after Mom is gone then my two brothers can live their life happy Mom is gone and they don't have to ever see me again.
I know you are probably wondering why my brothers don't like me. it's quite simple. My older brothers first wife had five children while married to him and he was the father of the first one only. he propositioned me one night and I turned her down so she got mad and told him I was the one who got her pregnant. Any reasonable man could figure out that I wasn't even in this country when she conceived and it didn't matter anyway as I have medical proof that I am unable to father children.
My younger brother is a jerk and has always been a jerk. When I was in the ninth grade members of the 7-8 grade basketball team came to me and said that my brother was a jerk and they wanted to kick his butt but out of respect for me they didn't. I told them not to let that stop them. Yea, I told my little brother but not for his safety but to protect my friends from getting into trouble because my brother was a jerk.
While he was a college professor I met one of his students and she admitted she disliked him
intensely. His first act as the new head of accounting at a big international company was to fire ever accountant that was under him because "they didn't know hat they were doing." Really? Everyone in the marching band was out of step but him. Amazing.
He was an officer stationed in South Carolina and lived with his wife and was able to continue school and obtain his masters degree .while I pulled two tours of duty in Vietnam and 36 straight months of overseas duty with out a single day of leave yet he claimed I had the easier duty because enlisted me got to decide if they wanted to follow his orders or not. He once told my father that the church he was pastor of was not good enough for him to attend. Once he sat on Moms couch with his feet extended straight in front of him so that when Mom was unloading the car she had to step over his feet to get by. he neither offered to help her nor to move his feet out of her way.
Once, as a Christmas present he gave me nothing while giving my wife and I a small display case about 5 inches high that had been reduced from $12.50 down to a buck seventy five. The jerkiest thing he ever did was at Thanksgiving. I had an idea that my parents myself and my two brothers would take turns hosting Thanksgiving. I had it the first year and he the second. Instead of just family he invited co-workers and friends and he sat with them in the main dining room. He sat my parents and my older brother in another room at a picnic table, and the children sat at a third table in what I suppose of the living room or family room. My wife and I were seated my ourselves in a hallway. Maybe he was offended because my wife was Oriental but that is no excuse to relegating my parents to a second rate table away from his friends and co-workers.
he always tried to blame me for us not being close. When Mom's sister was alive my brother would drive her from Hickory to Burlington to see her. On their way back home in would stop in Greensboro around two pm and call my house to see if they could stop by for a visit. Seriously? Almost everyone with a job is at work at 2 in the afternoon. Even if one worked second shift one could hardly accept company that was as yet 45 minutes away from your home. But he would always claim "I really wanted to see him." Well gosh, if you really wanted to see me why didn't you call the day before and see when it would be convenient or better yet a week or so in advance so maybe I could take a day off from work?
That's what he did when he would come to Hickory on his biyearly visit when he wanted to get together with my other brother to play golf. Me? He had Mom call me at 7am and asked me if I wanted to join my brothers for breakfast. Off course I live two hours away and they had already left home for the restaurant which they had forgotten to tell mom which one they were going to. But he could always claim he really wanted to see me.
Yeah, he's a jerk. Maybe I should have let the basketball team beat him up. I couldn't then and I couldn't do that now. But it is sweet to think aout.
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Surprise Party was a real surprise
I really didn't think I could pull it off. After all having a surprise birthday party at the church for the pastor is no small feat because the more people that know the less chance one has to succeed. I was fearful that someone would give it away at the last minute and that almost happened. One of the little girls walked into the sanctuary carrying her present for the pastor but fortunately she was redirected to the fellowship hall without the preacher being the wiser.
I think the party came at the right moment because the preacher seemed a little down tonight and it was just the thing to cheer him up. He was turning 60 and maybe that number was a little depressing. As soon as the service was over I went to our out building and retrieved the wheel chair I had decorated with balloons while everyone else was whisked away into the fellowship hall. I stepped back into the church and told the preacher I needed to see him outside. He got a big kick out of the wheelchair and put on a little show for us. I then asked hi to step into the fellowship hall which had been magically transformed. There were two birthday cakes, one saying Happy and the other saying birthday. I explained it took tow cakes because old peoples vision fades and we had to write real big so he could see.
We then gave him his presents, all gag gifts. he received everdent, fixident, a denture brush, back ache pills, and other gifts related to growing old. He received two pair of shorts, one red with white trim and the other green with bells on them. Someone gave him a pocket watch which I explained by saying 'That's another timepiece the preacher can ignore ". We then sang Happy birthday "really loud" to compensate for the reduced hearing people experience as they age. I let the preacher cut his piece of cake then I sliced and served the rest of it.
It was a grand evening and the preacher was really surprised and it did cheer him up so.
I then cleaned up and helped take all the presents to the preacher vehicle, including the balloons and put away the wheelchair before locking up the church for the evening.
It was a special evening, not just the surprise birthday party but the service itself. I have never been to a church where the members loved each other the way One Way Baptist does. I believe we exhibit the kind of love for each other that would be pleasing to God.
I think the party came at the right moment because the preacher seemed a little down tonight and it was just the thing to cheer him up. He was turning 60 and maybe that number was a little depressing. As soon as the service was over I went to our out building and retrieved the wheel chair I had decorated with balloons while everyone else was whisked away into the fellowship hall. I stepped back into the church and told the preacher I needed to see him outside. He got a big kick out of the wheelchair and put on a little show for us. I then asked hi to step into the fellowship hall which had been magically transformed. There were two birthday cakes, one saying Happy and the other saying birthday. I explained it took tow cakes because old peoples vision fades and we had to write real big so he could see.
We then gave him his presents, all gag gifts. he received everdent, fixident, a denture brush, back ache pills, and other gifts related to growing old. He received two pair of shorts, one red with white trim and the other green with bells on them. Someone gave him a pocket watch which I explained by saying 'That's another timepiece the preacher can ignore ". We then sang Happy birthday "really loud" to compensate for the reduced hearing people experience as they age. I let the preacher cut his piece of cake then I sliced and served the rest of it.
It was a grand evening and the preacher was really surprised and it did cheer him up so.
I then cleaned up and helped take all the presents to the preacher vehicle, including the balloons and put away the wheelchair before locking up the church for the evening.
It was a special evening, not just the surprise birthday party but the service itself. I have never been to a church where the members loved each other the way One Way Baptist does. I believe we exhibit the kind of love for each other that would be pleasing to God.
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
And the world shall wax worse and worse
PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Taliban gunmen stormed a military-run school in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar on Tuesday, killing at least 84 people, officials said, in the worst attack to hit the country in over a year.
The overwhelming majority of the victims were students at the army public school, which has children and teenagers in grades 1-10.
Saturday, December 13, 2014
Dump the old lady off
Wow! It's hard to believe the nerve of some people but the world is full of jerks.
My Mom is 89 years old, deft, and legally blind to the point of only being able to see fuzzy shapes. In October he fell asleep while trying to fry a hamburger patty and set the fire alarm off. She has little control of her bowels and suffers from various aliments. A week after she set the alarm off she fell and sat in the floor for several hours until she could reach a phone. She managed to get to the door but couldn't open it so the rescue squad had to break into her home.
My younger brother wanted to move her to Savannah, Ga. to stay with him so he packed her up and took her away on my birthday. Well, that should have been a happy ending for all concerned but it wasn't.
It seems by little brother decided to leave the care of his mother to his wife and daughter. Mom is a difficult person to get along with. She is as sweet as she can be but she likes to talk, like no stop, and she is fiercely independent and she is very particular about what she likes and what she doesn't and s. she will tell her friends about things. If one is sensitive, and most people are, then one is better off not getting involved with Mom. She is as good as gold but she will grate on a person's nerves, telling the same stories over and over talking about peoples faults and shortcomings. Her biggest fault is she doesn't like to admit she has made a mistake.
Even so, I think the situation she has found herself in is deplorable. Her daughter-in-law found it hard to deal with Moms talking and her dirty diaper pail and her complaining about missing home and leaving her friends. The last straw for her came when she overheard Mom complain to one of her friends (over the phone) that she had been left alone with no food in the house. She was justified in her decision to become upset at Mom's behavior. Old people can be hard to deal with and the job should not have been hers to begin with.
Little brother, on the other hand, had delegated his responsibility to her and his reaction to his wife becoming upset was to pack his mother and her belongings and drop her back in Hickory. There is no food in the house and no telephone. No one knows she is there but me and my older brother and he doesn't care. The worse part of the deal is he gave no thought to working out a solution to the problem nor discussing a timeline with me. She drive her home and dump her off.
To me, he's always been a jerk and I believe he still is.
My Mom is 89 years old, deft, and legally blind to the point of only being able to see fuzzy shapes. In October he fell asleep while trying to fry a hamburger patty and set the fire alarm off. She has little control of her bowels and suffers from various aliments. A week after she set the alarm off she fell and sat in the floor for several hours until she could reach a phone. She managed to get to the door but couldn't open it so the rescue squad had to break into her home.
My younger brother wanted to move her to Savannah, Ga. to stay with him so he packed her up and took her away on my birthday. Well, that should have been a happy ending for all concerned but it wasn't.
It seems by little brother decided to leave the care of his mother to his wife and daughter. Mom is a difficult person to get along with. She is as sweet as she can be but she likes to talk, like no stop, and she is fiercely independent and she is very particular about what she likes and what she doesn't and s. she will tell her friends about things. If one is sensitive, and most people are, then one is better off not getting involved with Mom. She is as good as gold but she will grate on a person's nerves, telling the same stories over and over talking about peoples faults and shortcomings. Her biggest fault is she doesn't like to admit she has made a mistake.
Even so, I think the situation she has found herself in is deplorable. Her daughter-in-law found it hard to deal with Moms talking and her dirty diaper pail and her complaining about missing home and leaving her friends. The last straw for her came when she overheard Mom complain to one of her friends (over the phone) that she had been left alone with no food in the house. She was justified in her decision to become upset at Mom's behavior. Old people can be hard to deal with and the job should not have been hers to begin with.
Little brother, on the other hand, had delegated his responsibility to her and his reaction to his wife becoming upset was to pack his mother and her belongings and drop her back in Hickory. There is no food in the house and no telephone. No one knows she is there but me and my older brother and he doesn't care. The worse part of the deal is he gave no thought to working out a solution to the problem nor discussing a timeline with me. She drive her home and dump her off.
To me, he's always been a jerk and I believe he still is.
Monday, December 08, 2014
Church and Beer
I suppose most Americans drink beer. I don't really know because I never asked them but if not beer, then some form of alcohol is consumed by most people. I never saw the need to drink, I have to admit in my younger days I tried in a few times because I thought it was the cool thing to do but for the most part in either made me sick or made me do really dumb things. For me if I have to drink to have a good time I'd rather be a party pooper. I see no need to alter reality. It doesn't taste all that good, it doesn't cause me to relax or unwind, I don't think it's cool and it can be dangerous. Thanks but no thanks but I'd rather deal with this cruel and unpredictable world with all my faculties in their best working order.
There are some churches that not only tolerate the drinking of alcohol but actively participate by keeping a stockpile on hand for special events. On the news this morning some church through a singing and beer party so they can take the church to the people. I found it upsetting that a church would do this. They may be a social organization but they are no church. I doubt Jesus would find
a beer guzzling religious crowd suitable to consider as his bride. Seriously, I doubt if most people would want to marry a drunk so I'm sure the Christ has higher standards than most people.
There are some churches that not only tolerate the drinking of alcohol but actively participate by keeping a stockpile on hand for special events. On the news this morning some church through a singing and beer party so they can take the church to the people. I found it upsetting that a church would do this. They may be a social organization but they are no church. I doubt Jesus would find
a beer guzzling religious crowd suitable to consider as his bride. Seriously, I doubt if most people would want to marry a drunk so I'm sure the Christ has higher standards than most people.
Wednesday, December 03, 2014
he tugged on my heartstrings and landed in jail (or who robbed the church)
Sunday, November 30, 2014 Randleman, NC
Stephen L. was late getting to church but he made it in time for the preacher to deliver his sermon; and what a sermon it was! Stephen was so impressed he stayed around after the service to chat with the preacher. He captured the pastors attention with his tales of his singing in church and his faithful attendance until his father died and sadly, Stephen blamed God. He was so angry at God for taking his dad he found himself in trouble but after hearing the preachers sermon he decided it is time to quit being angry and start living right.
He went on to tell of his pitiful situation and of how he needed to find some help for his baby son. He wasn't looking for a handout, he said, just to be connected to someone that could help him take care of his baby.
Well, that did the trick as far as the giant of a preacher with an equally big heart. ignoring church guidelines he gave the young man some money from the church coffers plus an equal amount from his own pocket. 'I'll definitely be back tonight" the young man said as he gladly accepted the cash.
Tuesday morning it was discovered someone had broken into the church. Nothing was taken but the rear door will have to be replaced which is a big expense for a struggling small congregation to have to pay, especially this time of year with all the extra expenses for the holidays. It was painfully obvious that the burglar was after the jug of cash he saw in front of the remembrance table that he mistakenly assumed was left during non service hours.
The young visitor on Sunday morning didn't come back Sunday night as he promised he would but it was equally obvious he did return on Monday night in search on the money jug. a burglar with transportation would have taken the stereo equipment and any thing else of value but this one took nothing. Our visitor arrived to church and left on foot.
He recognized one of our members and thought greeting them would enhance his credibility but in the end it proved to be his undoing. He provided false information on his visitor card but the member was able to discover his real address and phone number. The police was able to gather enough information to place the man under arrest.
It seems the backwoods country church was neither as easy a target or as dumb as he anticipated we would be and neither as forgiving. (let me clarify that by saying we hold no ill will towards Stephen but he did the crime so must do the time.)
Stephen L. was late getting to church but he made it in time for the preacher to deliver his sermon; and what a sermon it was! Stephen was so impressed he stayed around after the service to chat with the preacher. He captured the pastors attention with his tales of his singing in church and his faithful attendance until his father died and sadly, Stephen blamed God. He was so angry at God for taking his dad he found himself in trouble but after hearing the preachers sermon he decided it is time to quit being angry and start living right.
He went on to tell of his pitiful situation and of how he needed to find some help for his baby son. He wasn't looking for a handout, he said, just to be connected to someone that could help him take care of his baby.
Well, that did the trick as far as the giant of a preacher with an equally big heart. ignoring church guidelines he gave the young man some money from the church coffers plus an equal amount from his own pocket. 'I'll definitely be back tonight" the young man said as he gladly accepted the cash.
Tuesday morning it was discovered someone had broken into the church. Nothing was taken but the rear door will have to be replaced which is a big expense for a struggling small congregation to have to pay, especially this time of year with all the extra expenses for the holidays. It was painfully obvious that the burglar was after the jug of cash he saw in front of the remembrance table that he mistakenly assumed was left during non service hours.
The young visitor on Sunday morning didn't come back Sunday night as he promised he would but it was equally obvious he did return on Monday night in search on the money jug. a burglar with transportation would have taken the stereo equipment and any thing else of value but this one took nothing. Our visitor arrived to church and left on foot.
He recognized one of our members and thought greeting them would enhance his credibility but in the end it proved to be his undoing. He provided false information on his visitor card but the member was able to discover his real address and phone number. The police was able to gather enough information to place the man under arrest.
It seems the backwoods country church was neither as easy a target or as dumb as he anticipated we would be and neither as forgiving. (let me clarify that by saying we hold no ill will towards Stephen but he did the crime so must do the time.)
Friday, November 28, 2014
Helping is expensive
Mom needed my help so I obtained a thousand dollars from my retirement account, enough I thought so I wouldn't have to worry about things. During the two weeks before she left I made four round trips to see her. In addition to the gas and food I purchased her medicine and spent $54.00 on packing boxes plus picked up a few extra inexpensive items for her. After she left I drove to Hickory 5 times in the following two weeks, the last time to retrieve and mail some things she wanted from her home.
I had to repair some damage caused my the rescue workers when they broke into her house, fix a hole in her roof, replace her smoke detectors which had to be replaced after she almost set her house ablaze when she fell asleep while frying some burger, and I had some garments dry cleaned for her which I had shipped.
I did go to the Pioneer ($35)once and to a Mexican place ($23) once and I had a mirror replaced I broke ($32) as well as maintenance on my mower($153) done but other than those expenses, all my credit card bills were related to me helping Mom. My bill was for $1016.00. Of course Mom reimbursed me for $132.00 but I spent $274.00 in cash, much of it for food but some for small items like light bulbs or batteries or stuff to fix the small hole in the roof. All told, it cost me close to $800. to help Mom and close up her home.
All of the canned goods and the food from the stand alone freezer went to aid a need family, probably about $600 to $800 worth of food, plus I split the remainder of items between two other families (about a $100.00 bucks apiece)
My younger brother of course has helped too as he drove from Georgia twice to see her, the second time to take her home with him. He made his annual pilgrimage to Colorado so he hired a private nurse to care for Mom for the three days he will be gone.
The joy I receive from having my Mom and the peace I have knowing she is well cared for now more than offset any expenses. For her, nothing can replace being in her own home but she is well satisfied that she has a place to go where she is cared for with love rather than just as part of a persons job.
I had to repair some damage caused my the rescue workers when they broke into her house, fix a hole in her roof, replace her smoke detectors which had to be replaced after she almost set her house ablaze when she fell asleep while frying some burger, and I had some garments dry cleaned for her which I had shipped.
I did go to the Pioneer ($35)once and to a Mexican place ($23) once and I had a mirror replaced I broke ($32) as well as maintenance on my mower($153) done but other than those expenses, all my credit card bills were related to me helping Mom. My bill was for $1016.00. Of course Mom reimbursed me for $132.00 but I spent $274.00 in cash, much of it for food but some for small items like light bulbs or batteries or stuff to fix the small hole in the roof. All told, it cost me close to $800. to help Mom and close up her home.
All of the canned goods and the food from the stand alone freezer went to aid a need family, probably about $600 to $800 worth of food, plus I split the remainder of items between two other families (about a $100.00 bucks apiece)
My younger brother of course has helped too as he drove from Georgia twice to see her, the second time to take her home with him. He made his annual pilgrimage to Colorado so he hired a private nurse to care for Mom for the three days he will be gone.
The joy I receive from having my Mom and the peace I have knowing she is well cared for now more than offset any expenses. For her, nothing can replace being in her own home but she is well satisfied that she has a place to go where she is cared for with love rather than just as part of a persons job.
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
Standing invitation
It's a rare occasion for me to get to preach at One Way Baptist Church in Randleman but I do get the honor tomorrow night at 7 pm so you are invited. Of course you are welcome anytime but I would especially love for you to be there tomorrow night.
The local paper has invited me to be a quest columnist for the third straight time and I am pleased about that too. I welcome any opportunity to talk about my God and my savior Jesus Christ.
The local paper has invited me to be a quest columnist for the third straight time and I am pleased about that too. I welcome any opportunity to talk about my God and my savior Jesus Christ.
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
First Novemeber Post
November has been an eventful month. In late October I discovered my Mom, 89 and legally blind and almost deaf, had almost burned her house down when she was cooking some hamburger and fell asleep. I have known for a long time she shouldn't be by herself but she is stubborn and insisted in taking care of herself. As long as she was sound of mind I let her be. But when I visited her that day I knew the time had come to seek a different living arrangement for her.
I contacted my two brothers and my younger one, who has power of attorney, came from Savanna to assess the situation for himself. We looked into private care and that was way too expensive and an assistant living facility was out of the question. Mom just needed someone to monitor her medicine and make sure her clothes were clean and she was feed but the assistant living facility wanted $3500 a month just for a room with another resident plus additional expenses totaling over $500.00 a month. One can definitely get better care and facilities on a year long cruise at less than half the cost.
With an quickly aging population there needs to be a better alternative: maybe a nice ground floor apartment complex with a couple of resident nurses and some nurses aids to look to the peoples needs. Something like a Holiday Inn with medical care. I don't think it should cost over $500.00 a month. Poor people living on Social Security can't afford what these nursing homes want to charge and many deserve a better end of life living situation.
Fortunately for Mom my youngest brother was willing to take her in and provide the care she needs. Not every parent is so lucky.
The last two weeks she was in her own house I drove down to see her most every day to take care of her. The only day I didn't go was Sundays and I left early on Wednesdays to make it home for church.
After she moved I went back everyday to clean her house and to clean the refrigerator and the freezer. Several struggling families were blessed to receive food and a few other things to help them meet their families needs. I saw that some items that belonged to others were given back to them, cleaned and secured her home. I'll have to go back from time to time to do yard work and other things that might need to be attended to. The only things I packed up were her collection of dinner bells. When Mom passes and all the relatives hit the house her bells will be a prime target for those wishing to grab a little something for themselves and it took a lot of tender loving care to wrap and pack her huge collection.
Most of her bells were common bells but there are quite a few that fall into the $40.00 and up range making her collection worth several thousand dollars. Most of her other stuff can be disposed of by an estate sale but if and when Mom can come back home (this is where she wants to be during her last days) I want things as much like things were when she lived here.
The saddest part of the whole affair is I have been her caregiver for the last sixteen years and she left on my birthday. Having her go was harder than I thought it would be,
I contacted my two brothers and my younger one, who has power of attorney, came from Savanna to assess the situation for himself. We looked into private care and that was way too expensive and an assistant living facility was out of the question. Mom just needed someone to monitor her medicine and make sure her clothes were clean and she was feed but the assistant living facility wanted $3500 a month just for a room with another resident plus additional expenses totaling over $500.00 a month. One can definitely get better care and facilities on a year long cruise at less than half the cost.
With an quickly aging population there needs to be a better alternative: maybe a nice ground floor apartment complex with a couple of resident nurses and some nurses aids to look to the peoples needs. Something like a Holiday Inn with medical care. I don't think it should cost over $500.00 a month. Poor people living on Social Security can't afford what these nursing homes want to charge and many deserve a better end of life living situation.
Fortunately for Mom my youngest brother was willing to take her in and provide the care she needs. Not every parent is so lucky.
The last two weeks she was in her own house I drove down to see her most every day to take care of her. The only day I didn't go was Sundays and I left early on Wednesdays to make it home for church.
After she moved I went back everyday to clean her house and to clean the refrigerator and the freezer. Several struggling families were blessed to receive food and a few other things to help them meet their families needs. I saw that some items that belonged to others were given back to them, cleaned and secured her home. I'll have to go back from time to time to do yard work and other things that might need to be attended to. The only things I packed up were her collection of dinner bells. When Mom passes and all the relatives hit the house her bells will be a prime target for those wishing to grab a little something for themselves and it took a lot of tender loving care to wrap and pack her huge collection.
Most of her bells were common bells but there are quite a few that fall into the $40.00 and up range making her collection worth several thousand dollars. Most of her other stuff can be disposed of by an estate sale but if and when Mom can come back home (this is where she wants to be during her last days) I want things as much like things were when she lived here.
The saddest part of the whole affair is I have been her caregiver for the last sixteen years and she left on my birthday. Having her go was harder than I thought it would be,
Friday, October 31, 2014
It's not to late to change your mind
There is a hotly contested senate race with Kay Hagan and Tom Tillis trying to win. voting for one of them is like deciding to shoot yourself in the head or in the mouth: the results are still suicide. If each candidate is as evil as the other one says, then we need neither. I'm not voting for Tom Tillis because Kay Hagan supports the President anymore than I would vote of Kay Hagan because Tom Tillis sides with big business over the individual. To me that indicates but are wrong.
I wish we had a third option, and not just a candidate from a third party, but a choice to vote against a candidate. Say, if there are 100 people voting and 7 vote for the third party then one of the two main candidates will win, even if half the voters don't vote because they like neither candidate.
But what if those fifty who voted didn't like either candidate either but just felt compelled to pick the lesser of two evils. Well, that's like only putting 4 bullets in a six shooter and only pulling the trigger 3 times: you are still dead.
It would make sense to put an against option on the ballet. That way you can vote for one, or vote for the other or vote against both. That option gives power to people who are feed up with no real voice in the community. Up till now the only choice you have is to vote for one or the other or not vote and let someone choose for you. With the against option then if neither candidate is acceptable
the there is a chance enough against votes will force the parties to pick more acceptable candidates.
But for now we are stuck with the old system. Vote but for for the third party: no one is saying anything bad a out them.
I wish we had a third option, and not just a candidate from a third party, but a choice to vote against a candidate. Say, if there are 100 people voting and 7 vote for the third party then one of the two main candidates will win, even if half the voters don't vote because they like neither candidate.
But what if those fifty who voted didn't like either candidate either but just felt compelled to pick the lesser of two evils. Well, that's like only putting 4 bullets in a six shooter and only pulling the trigger 3 times: you are still dead.
It would make sense to put an against option on the ballet. That way you can vote for one, or vote for the other or vote against both. That option gives power to people who are feed up with no real voice in the community. Up till now the only choice you have is to vote for one or the other or not vote and let someone choose for you. With the against option then if neither candidate is acceptable
the there is a chance enough against votes will force the parties to pick more acceptable candidates.
But for now we are stuck with the old system. Vote but for for the third party: no one is saying anything bad a out them.
Saturday, October 25, 2014
Does sentimental value remain after death?
A lady grew up during the depression and over the course of her lifetime she had purchased items that meant something to her and some other things were given to her. She has lived in the same home for almost sixty years. It's a small two bed room ranch home. She had a collection of dinner bells, probable three or four hundred of them.
I said had as if she were dead already but she isn't. One of her sons is having her move in with him with the intention of bringing her home so she can die in her own home. The home is neat but every square inch of storage space is utilized to the max. There is the attic, the partial basement and the storage space under the deck. The carport was converted into a living space.
She said that she wants items personal to her to remain so she can be surrounded by the objects she loves at her death. I don't know if it is possible for things to happen the way she wants but that is the plans. We always don't get to pick where we will be when we die.
The house is stuffed full of stuff, there is damage to some of the walls and ceilings and it has lots and lots of furniture. Somehow one of the brothers, the successful rich one, thinks he can clean the house and get it ready to sell in three or four days. I know what his intentions are. He'll hire a professional cleaning crew who will bring out a dumpster and he'll instruct them to throw everything thanks in the house into it, then have them wash and mop and think he's done a good job.
Mom loves her stuff plus there is a lot of value, intrinsic and sentimental, to many of the objects she has. If the items meant a lot to her should her children value that item as well and see that it is sold or given a good home or should it just be junked like worthless trash?
I said had as if she were dead already but she isn't. One of her sons is having her move in with him with the intention of bringing her home so she can die in her own home. The home is neat but every square inch of storage space is utilized to the max. There is the attic, the partial basement and the storage space under the deck. The carport was converted into a living space.
She said that she wants items personal to her to remain so she can be surrounded by the objects she loves at her death. I don't know if it is possible for things to happen the way she wants but that is the plans. We always don't get to pick where we will be when we die.
The house is stuffed full of stuff, there is damage to some of the walls and ceilings and it has lots and lots of furniture. Somehow one of the brothers, the successful rich one, thinks he can clean the house and get it ready to sell in three or four days. I know what his intentions are. He'll hire a professional cleaning crew who will bring out a dumpster and he'll instruct them to throw everything thanks in the house into it, then have them wash and mop and think he's done a good job.
Mom loves her stuff plus there is a lot of value, intrinsic and sentimental, to many of the objects she has. If the items meant a lot to her should her children value that item as well and see that it is sold or given a good home or should it just be junked like worthless trash?
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
I Apologize
I owe my pastor and my Sunday School class an apology which I will deliver in person at the beginning of my next class. A month or so ago I asked the question "Which tribes belonged to the Southern Kingdom of Israel"? The pastor gave the correct answer but I stated the correct answer as Rueben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh which is incorrect. Those tribes and half tribe are the peoples of Israel that did not cross over the river Jordon when Israel entered the Promised Land. The correct answer, as stated by the pastor, was indeed Judah and Benjamin.
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Security sorta works
Friday night I left my rock bar, a plastic cart, and my potato hoe in my trailer so I could have an early start Saturday morning when I planned on taking advantage of the cities annual mulch sale. I needed some at the church around the trees I planted and I needed a little more at home. With the 4-prong potato hoe it is much easier to unload the mulch than with a steel rack. Saturday morning it was missing.
I am meticulous about putting my tools away but I thought just once for my convenience I would leave the potato hoe out so the beeping of the shed alarm wouldn't bother my sleeping wife. The first and only time I've left a tool out and it turns up missing. Go figure.
I didn't lose much as far as monetary value as the head of the potato digger once belonged to my neighbor. Someone set his shed on fire .and the wooden handle of the digger burned off so he just tossed what was left away. I just happened to have a broken handle from an old tool so I put the potato digger head on my old handle and duct taped it on. It made a useful tool which I have used for several years now. One thing for sure, it wasn't worth the price of the penalty one would have to pay if they were caught stealing it.
I'm sure they didn't take the plastic cart because it would have been too big and cumbersome for a quick grab and run theft. The thing of value was the rock bar but it was black and was in a black trailer at night and mostly covered by the tarp. I'm sure if given a choice most people would much rather have had the rock bar, especially if they were taking something to sell. The potato digger is virtually worthless.
I'm not sure what would have been taken if I didn't have a security system. My shed is wired with an alarm system as is my house. I also have motion sensory lights on the front porch and back porch as well as on the driveway side of the shed. I would like to think the motion sensor lights would have come on and frightened the thief away (but only after the thief took my potato digger).
I am meticulous about putting my tools away but I thought just once for my convenience I would leave the potato hoe out so the beeping of the shed alarm wouldn't bother my sleeping wife. The first and only time I've left a tool out and it turns up missing. Go figure.
I didn't lose much as far as monetary value as the head of the potato digger once belonged to my neighbor. Someone set his shed on fire .and the wooden handle of the digger burned off so he just tossed what was left away. I just happened to have a broken handle from an old tool so I put the potato digger head on my old handle and duct taped it on. It made a useful tool which I have used for several years now. One thing for sure, it wasn't worth the price of the penalty one would have to pay if they were caught stealing it.
I'm sure they didn't take the plastic cart because it would have been too big and cumbersome for a quick grab and run theft. The thing of value was the rock bar but it was black and was in a black trailer at night and mostly covered by the tarp. I'm sure if given a choice most people would much rather have had the rock bar, especially if they were taking something to sell. The potato digger is virtually worthless.
I'm not sure what would have been taken if I didn't have a security system. My shed is wired with an alarm system as is my house. I also have motion sensory lights on the front porch and back porch as well as on the driveway side of the shed. I would like to think the motion sensor lights would have come on and frightened the thief away (but only after the thief took my potato digger).
what is fair isn't always fair.
what is fair isn't always fair. Strange headline I know but it is true. Here is the situation. Mom is almost blind and deft and has become feeble in the past few weeks that it has become obvious she can no longer take care of herself. Mom has three sons, one lives in Georgia, one in South Carolina and one in Randleman. Mom lives in Hickory.
My younger brother is a businessman and has made a lot of money . Even though he is retired, he is still working full time. My older brother is a plant manager for a large manufacturing plant and makes a descent salary. He also draws social security. My one sister-in-law, my younger brothers wife is also an accountant and she still works.
I'm retired and do not work and my wife is disabled. We have always been just plain ole working stiffs, church going people who support their church to the tune of at least 15% of their income and sometimes to to 20%. Honestly if we didn't give we would have never made it. Seriously.
Anyway, Mom will have to either have an in home care giver or go into a rest home. If she takes the second offer then my younger brother has purposed three solutions, the first two are out of the realm of possibilities. The third is doable and fair. We float a loan, split the downpayent three ways and well as the monthly payment it seems fair anyway. Except for one thing. I'm the only one who doesn't work and the only one who lives close enough to take care of the house. Afterall, the assests have to be liquidated or disposed of, the house cleaned and the repair work completed.
Yea, it would be nice to split the cost three ways then have just one brother do all the physical labor but that isn't fair, is it/
My younger brother is a businessman and has made a lot of money . Even though he is retired, he is still working full time. My older brother is a plant manager for a large manufacturing plant and makes a descent salary. He also draws social security. My one sister-in-law, my younger brothers wife is also an accountant and she still works.
I'm retired and do not work and my wife is disabled. We have always been just plain ole working stiffs, church going people who support their church to the tune of at least 15% of their income and sometimes to to 20%. Honestly if we didn't give we would have never made it. Seriously.
Anyway, Mom will have to either have an in home care giver or go into a rest home. If she takes the second offer then my younger brother has purposed three solutions, the first two are out of the realm of possibilities. The third is doable and fair. We float a loan, split the downpayent three ways and well as the monthly payment it seems fair anyway. Except for one thing. I'm the only one who doesn't work and the only one who lives close enough to take care of the house. Afterall, the assests have to be liquidated or disposed of, the house cleaned and the repair work completed.
Yea, it would be nice to split the cost three ways then have just one brother do all the physical labor but that isn't fair, is it/
Monday, October 20, 2014
Any teachers out there?
Have my Sunday School class does their lessons but the other half makes no effort at all. If I ask a question I gey no response from anyone even though they have the answer. it seems I can never illcit much of a response much less a discussion. So, how do I get more class participation?
Thursday, October 16, 2014
12 year old commits suicide over cyber bullying
In todays news a twelve year old girl killed herself because of being bullied. Not physically bullied. No, that had stopped when she changed schools. No, she was being bullied on the internet, in particular on Facebook. I have a Facebook account. I have friends on Facebook. In order to be my friend I have to accept your invite. You can't be my friend unless I want you to be. Even then if you post something I don't like I can delete that post and if you persist I can unfriend you. I don't have to belong to Facebook either. In fact, I don't have to participate in social media at all.
You cannot bully me unless I allow you to bully me. This young girl killed herself over something someone said that they didn't have to read. How very sad.
You cannot bully me unless I allow you to bully me. This young girl killed herself over something someone said that they didn't have to read. How very sad.
Thursday, October 09, 2014
Sometimes its better not to do any favors
My wife and I stopped at Wendy's today. I wanted to try their new BBQ sandwich. I ordered a BBQ sandwich and a soda and my wife wanted the BBQ fries and a lemonade. "I can save you money if you get the combo. "
"But I don't want fries' I replied.
Well the clerk rang me up a small combo anyway.
The BBQ sandwich was $4.49, the BBQ fries was $2.89, the soda was a $1.49 and the lemonade was &1.79 for a total of $10.66 (not including tax)
The clerk rang up a small combo at $6.69, a BBQ fry at 2.89, a lemonade at 1.79 and a soda at 1.49 which totaled 12.86. I explained to the clerk that she charged me for a soda that was supposed to be include and didn't give me a fry which goes with a combo. I didn't want the fries to begin with so I made her cancel the entire order and ring it the way it should have been totaled to begin with. While she was re-ringing the order other workers were busy filling my tray with sandwiches I didn't order.
The whole incident left a bad taste in my mouth (pardon the pun) embarrassed the clerk, I'm sure and put a damper on an otherwise perfect day. I don't know why I have such a hard time when I go into a restaurant, especially a fast food joint. I speak slowly and clearly but it seems there is always a problem. I went to Bo jangles once and every time I named an item I want the clerk would yell it into his mike. What he rang up, what I ordered and what I was given didn't even come close to being the same.
Once at Arby's I ordered an apple turnover and was given a cherry one with chocolate glaze. My wife and I were going to split it so I cut it in two pieces. My wife took a piece to show the clerk we had received the wrong turnover. In stead of fixing the problem the clerk said 'Well, I see you've already eaten half of it." I took the other half up and asked for an apple turnover, not saying anything about her smart remark. This time I received a chocolate turnover. This time I took the whole thing back and asked for a refund. The clerk at first refused and tried to make me wait until she found an apple turnover.
I went to Hardees and ordered two cod fillet sandwiches and a chicken burrito. I was given two chicken sandwiches and a fish taco.
If it happened just once and in a while, which I fully expect it does to every one, it would be understandable. I think the problem is most clerks really don't know how to think and customers don't know how to order. A clerk normally has to ask a customer a lot of questions in order to record an order.
I'll go into, say Burger King, and say "This order is dine-in. I want the number 2 combo, small, with cheese, light mayo, lettuce and tomato and a number two combo, small, no cheese, with onion rings instead of fries." More often than not, the clerk will ask ;Is this dine-in or carry-out?"
So now I have to repeat the entire order and when I'm finished the second time the clerk asks "Did you want cheese on both combos?"
I thought maybe I was giving the clerk too much information at once so I decided to be like every one else and make the clerk ask. My order was still screwed up.
In all honesty I appreciate the girl at Wendy's efforts to save me some money and if I had received the fries and not been double charged on the soda I would have not said anything about the fries I really didn't want. When I placed my order and it seemed obvious she wasn't going to ring it like I asked her too It was just far easier to let her do it her way. For the most part most places quickly correct mistakes and I realize most fast food clerks are young and inexperienced so I'm patient with them. But tonight was different. The clerk wanted to argue with me that she was saving me money by charging me for something I didn't want, couldn't understand when I explained I hadn't received what I had been charged for, gave me a refund and then tried to charge me again for what she just gave me a refund on. Sometimes it is just best to not do some one a favor.
"But I don't want fries' I replied.
Well the clerk rang me up a small combo anyway.
The BBQ sandwich was $4.49, the BBQ fries was $2.89, the soda was a $1.49 and the lemonade was &1.79 for a total of $10.66 (not including tax)
The clerk rang up a small combo at $6.69, a BBQ fry at 2.89, a lemonade at 1.79 and a soda at 1.49 which totaled 12.86. I explained to the clerk that she charged me for a soda that was supposed to be include and didn't give me a fry which goes with a combo. I didn't want the fries to begin with so I made her cancel the entire order and ring it the way it should have been totaled to begin with. While she was re-ringing the order other workers were busy filling my tray with sandwiches I didn't order.
The whole incident left a bad taste in my mouth (pardon the pun) embarrassed the clerk, I'm sure and put a damper on an otherwise perfect day. I don't know why I have such a hard time when I go into a restaurant, especially a fast food joint. I speak slowly and clearly but it seems there is always a problem. I went to Bo jangles once and every time I named an item I want the clerk would yell it into his mike. What he rang up, what I ordered and what I was given didn't even come close to being the same.
Once at Arby's I ordered an apple turnover and was given a cherry one with chocolate glaze. My wife and I were going to split it so I cut it in two pieces. My wife took a piece to show the clerk we had received the wrong turnover. In stead of fixing the problem the clerk said 'Well, I see you've already eaten half of it." I took the other half up and asked for an apple turnover, not saying anything about her smart remark. This time I received a chocolate turnover. This time I took the whole thing back and asked for a refund. The clerk at first refused and tried to make me wait until she found an apple turnover.
I went to Hardees and ordered two cod fillet sandwiches and a chicken burrito. I was given two chicken sandwiches and a fish taco.
If it happened just once and in a while, which I fully expect it does to every one, it would be understandable. I think the problem is most clerks really don't know how to think and customers don't know how to order. A clerk normally has to ask a customer a lot of questions in order to record an order.
I'll go into, say Burger King, and say "This order is dine-in. I want the number 2 combo, small, with cheese, light mayo, lettuce and tomato and a number two combo, small, no cheese, with onion rings instead of fries." More often than not, the clerk will ask ;Is this dine-in or carry-out?"
So now I have to repeat the entire order and when I'm finished the second time the clerk asks "Did you want cheese on both combos?"
I thought maybe I was giving the clerk too much information at once so I decided to be like every one else and make the clerk ask. My order was still screwed up.
In all honesty I appreciate the girl at Wendy's efforts to save me some money and if I had received the fries and not been double charged on the soda I would have not said anything about the fries I really didn't want. When I placed my order and it seemed obvious she wasn't going to ring it like I asked her too It was just far easier to let her do it her way. For the most part most places quickly correct mistakes and I realize most fast food clerks are young and inexperienced so I'm patient with them. But tonight was different. The clerk wanted to argue with me that she was saving me money by charging me for something I didn't want, couldn't understand when I explained I hadn't received what I had been charged for, gave me a refund and then tried to charge me again for what she just gave me a refund on. Sometimes it is just best to not do some one a favor.
Saturday, October 04, 2014
Sold out but disappointed
One might not think it strange that a free concert was booked solid but just because it is free doesn't mean people will take advantage of it. I learned that when our church had a few hot dog supper for the community and no one came. The truth is we could have sold a lot more than we gave away. Anyway, David Jeremiah had a free service at the coliseum Thursday and I enjoy David Jeremiah. I heard him speak live in Myrtle beach at the annual "Singing at the Beach' a few years back and I still remember his message. But Thursday night was a night to forget, for sure.
I believe music should always honor God and reflects His truths. I am not about to speak for God and even propose what type of music God likes to listen too but I have never seen drums listed among the instruments used to praise God in the scriptures. One song claimed that the singer was God's friend because god was his. Friendship implies equality and I just don't feel comfortable equating myself with God. God is my creator and the bible instructs us to fear God and tells us plainly to fear Him who can take both body and soul. Oh I know there is a hymn that says "Oh what a friend we have in Jesus" and I love that him. The difference is that hymn isn't putting us on an equal footing with God but giving God the glory for all the wonderful things that Jesus did for us when He died upon the cross for our sins. The song does not imply that the singer and God are best buddies.
The music I suffered through because I came to hear a message from God and to give praise to Him but instead the sermon was nothing more than a book promotional speech. Yea, I purchased a book because it was on a topic I was interested in and I had looked into buying the book earlier but at $39.95 for the book from Amazon I thought I could find equally as good a resource at a much better price. At the meeting I purchased the book for $20.00 while the music was going on.
What I did enjoy was the Fellowship meeting last night. It was in Albemarle which was a long lonely drive through the countryside in the piedmont of North Carolina and the preachers there were pastors of small churches for sure. No one there will ever pastor a mega church or even draw a crowd at a free event but then again they are preaching the word of God and not trying to sell books.
There is no compromising on the translation of the bible they use, on the type of music that is sung, and no personal agenda to be promoted. They don't talk about their wife and kids or brag about what ministries they are involved in. They just preach the gospel.
There was one preacher there from Kenya who oversees 7 churches and several different programs and only receives support of $250.00 a month. I would much rather support him than David Jeremiah.
Don't get me wrong. I am not putting down David Jeremiah or his ministry. If one can reach people and allow God to save their souls then they have my support. I'm not disappointed and non supportive of the ministry of David Jeremiah: I'm just disappointed that the opportunity to inspired thousands of Christians was used a a promotional opportunity for his new book.
I believe music should always honor God and reflects His truths. I am not about to speak for God and even propose what type of music God likes to listen too but I have never seen drums listed among the instruments used to praise God in the scriptures. One song claimed that the singer was God's friend because god was his. Friendship implies equality and I just don't feel comfortable equating myself with God. God is my creator and the bible instructs us to fear God and tells us plainly to fear Him who can take both body and soul. Oh I know there is a hymn that says "Oh what a friend we have in Jesus" and I love that him. The difference is that hymn isn't putting us on an equal footing with God but giving God the glory for all the wonderful things that Jesus did for us when He died upon the cross for our sins. The song does not imply that the singer and God are best buddies.
The music I suffered through because I came to hear a message from God and to give praise to Him but instead the sermon was nothing more than a book promotional speech. Yea, I purchased a book because it was on a topic I was interested in and I had looked into buying the book earlier but at $39.95 for the book from Amazon I thought I could find equally as good a resource at a much better price. At the meeting I purchased the book for $20.00 while the music was going on.
What I did enjoy was the Fellowship meeting last night. It was in Albemarle which was a long lonely drive through the countryside in the piedmont of North Carolina and the preachers there were pastors of small churches for sure. No one there will ever pastor a mega church or even draw a crowd at a free event but then again they are preaching the word of God and not trying to sell books.
There is no compromising on the translation of the bible they use, on the type of music that is sung, and no personal agenda to be promoted. They don't talk about their wife and kids or brag about what ministries they are involved in. They just preach the gospel.
There was one preacher there from Kenya who oversees 7 churches and several different programs and only receives support of $250.00 a month. I would much rather support him than David Jeremiah.
Don't get me wrong. I am not putting down David Jeremiah or his ministry. If one can reach people and allow God to save their souls then they have my support. I'm not disappointed and non supportive of the ministry of David Jeremiah: I'm just disappointed that the opportunity to inspired thousands of Christians was used a a promotional opportunity for his new book.
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Somebodies lying
The firm I have my retirements funds with keeps sending me encouraging e-mails and reports that tell me the economy is improving and its stronger than the public believes and I should be confident and optimistic about my financial future. That sounds nice but every time I check my holdings I have less than I did the day before. In the last month the value of my investments have decreased a thousand dollars (actually a little more than that) and the last several day has shown decreased of over $80.00 per day.
So if the economy is doing good then why are my investments doing bad? Is some one lying to me?
So if the economy is doing good then why are my investments doing bad? Is some one lying to me?
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Vote no instead
I know the election is still a ways off but listening to the negative campaign aids from Thom Tillis
and Kat Hagan got me to thinking about how we are given choices on the ballet. I believe there should be one more choice given.
At present we can vote for no one or we can no vote for anyone but we are not allowed to vote against a particular candidate. I think we should be allowed that option. That way an against vote would cancel out a for vote. A non vote to me just isn't fair because it is just that: a non-vote. One might as well not even care but you do care. Maybe you believe that neither candidate is the correct one for the office. If you can't vote against someone then those voting for hold all the power and that isn't a true democracy. The law is supposed to allow for one person-one vote but to not vote takes away from your authority as a voter.
I was faced with that dilemma one election when I liked neither candidate so I had to not vote for either. That isn't fair. If I believe neither candidate is good then I should have the right to say so. A vote against counts just as much as a vote for. If both candidates receive more votes against than votes for then the parties would have to choose another candidate. Maybe it would make our politicians more responsible: they not only have to prove their opponent isn't as qualified as they are but also have to prove they are worthy.
and Kat Hagan got me to thinking about how we are given choices on the ballet. I believe there should be one more choice given.
At present we can vote for no one or we can no vote for anyone but we are not allowed to vote against a particular candidate. I think we should be allowed that option. That way an against vote would cancel out a for vote. A non vote to me just isn't fair because it is just that: a non-vote. One might as well not even care but you do care. Maybe you believe that neither candidate is the correct one for the office. If you can't vote against someone then those voting for hold all the power and that isn't a true democracy. The law is supposed to allow for one person-one vote but to not vote takes away from your authority as a voter.
I was faced with that dilemma one election when I liked neither candidate so I had to not vote for either. That isn't fair. If I believe neither candidate is good then I should have the right to say so. A vote against counts just as much as a vote for. If both candidates receive more votes against than votes for then the parties would have to choose another candidate. Maybe it would make our politicians more responsible: they not only have to prove their opponent isn't as qualified as they are but also have to prove they are worthy.
Saturday, September 27, 2014
For Sale, Chairs and podium
Actually, one can have the podium. It has a table attached and makes a great pulpit. The big item we have is some chairs. These chairs were made by chairs for less and retail for $38.00 each. They are the beige fabric with the diamond pattern and they are only a tad over a year old. We now have a new sanctuary and use a red chair and we are planning on using the old sanctuary for a fellowship hall and Sunday School bldg. The chairs take up just a little too much room. They are comfortable with 4' cushions. We are asking $25.00 each and there are 40 chairs.
To see what they look like check out the church chairs on church chairs for less .com.
To see what they look like check out the church chairs on church chairs for less .com.
Friday, September 26, 2014
If you obey all the rules you miss all the fun
Kathryn Hepburn gets credit for the headline. Jesus gets credit for saying " he who saves his own life shall lose it but he who loses his life shall save it. Pretty much the opposite of Kathryn Hepburn's philosophy except that one can still follow Jesus and have fun. Jesus said we could have life and have it more abundantly.
I choose to believe Jesus.
I choose to believe Jesus.
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Amens don't change the truth
Just because a person is a church goer doesn't mean they go for the right reasons which, yes folks, make them a hypocrite. But that doesn't bother me so much as for me to quit going to church anymore than it would to go to work with someone who doesn't like our employer. Hypocrites are all over the place. Even some people who call themselves Americans have allegiances that lie elsewhere. We can't not do what we believe is right just because someone else who is doing the same things we are just don't agree. The people who uses hypocrites as an excuse not to go to church are just making an excuse and while holding themselves out to be just a little better than a hypocrite are, in fact, probable not as good. One is a subtle liar and the other is more bold-faced about it but it really doesn't matter as a lie is a lie.
People are people whether in church or at work. Sometimes people have bad habits and at a meeting the boss wants to try and correct bad habits without calling names and embarrassing people by describing the bad behavior and asking that people not act that way. It seems like the worst offenders are the loudest defenders of the request. In other words they are yelling amen when they should be groaning o-me.
Agreeing loudly doesn't change the truth about your past behavior nor does it convince anyone that they are wrong about you. It just makes you look more foolish than you did before.
People are people whether in church or at work. Sometimes people have bad habits and at a meeting the boss wants to try and correct bad habits without calling names and embarrassing people by describing the bad behavior and asking that people not act that way. It seems like the worst offenders are the loudest defenders of the request. In other words they are yelling amen when they should be groaning o-me.
Agreeing loudly doesn't change the truth about your past behavior nor does it convince anyone that they are wrong about you. It just makes you look more foolish than you did before.
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
How to discipline children
I adopted my son when he was 2 years old. When he was six I took care of a newborn whose mother was a prostitute and whose father was the husband of her grandmother. I then became a foster parent and had several teenagers to care for. Then my sister-in-law moved in with my wife and I and she had two sons, both preschoolers and then she gave birth to a girl.
My wife wasn't enthusiastic about being a foster parent and she was too involved in her own social life to care much for any of the kids, sad to say, so most of the child rearing duties fell to me. It wasn't always easy but I learned as I went. I was a young military man fresh from one war and ready to do it again when I adopted my son. He was a little bitty fellow and I enjoyed him immensely. But the was a tenderhearted boy and if it didn't come easy for him he just didn't try. For me that was frustrating. I am the type of person that keeps at something until I have mastered it or accomplished my task or goal so it was a little frustrating with him. He was a good kid most of the time and he always showed himself to be a man of his word so there really wasn't any need to use corporal punishment with him. I believe I did a few times but I believe those times were more my shortcomings than his.
The last little girls I raised was a pure pleasure. She was cute, mature, sweet, and knew what she liked and wanted. Of all the children I helped raise she was the one that brought me the greatest joy. Only once did I ever see the child upset. She had a dress that came in two pieces: one piece was a solid white dress that was really frilly and the other piece was sheer and had strawberries drawn on it and was to be worn over the dress. One day she had gotten dressed for church and had decided she wanted to wear that outfit. Her grandmother put the white dress on her put didn't want to bother with the other part. The child wasn't happy and she became upset. Her grandmother started yelling at her and at one point even pulled back her open hand as if to strike the child.
I heard the commotion and asked what was the matter. "I explained to her grandmother that the dress was in two parts and while it could be wore separately, the child felt naked without the dress being complete. She understood and dressed her properly.
I wish I had known how to do with my son what I learned by the time I raised my last child. I learned that each child is different so rules and discipline and play time and all the activities that make up a family have to be different for each child. A parent cannot be a child's friend yet it isn't necessary to be the power broker either. I learned to respect each child for the unique person they were and deal with them from a point of respect for their feelings and their needs. A child looks to a grownup for love, support and guidance and needs our validation. They don't need our harsh words, orders, or impatient demands.
Corporal punishment does have its place. I remember once on a family and friend outing there were several of us playing horseshoes and one boy would wait until someone was ready to toss their shoes to run out in front of them. He thought it funny to disrupt our game. I cautioned the lad three times about the danger and rudeness of his actions but that only seemed to make him more determined. In my last caution to the kid I also included the punishment for not heeding my request. When I swatted his butt he had a shocked look on his face as he had always been allowed to do what he wanted to do, even making fun of his parents, with never a correction. The swat was never intended to hurt but to enforce the seriousness of the situation. Being struck by a thrown horseshoe would have been at the very least painful and it would have been irresponsible of us adults not to take proper steps to prevent injury to the boy.
Corporal punishment must be a tool in successful parenting but one that should be used sparingly if ever. Your main tool should be respect for the child and his opinions, viewing the world through the child's eyes, and recognizing the uniqueness of each individual and dealing with the situation in a rmanner that is best for that particular child.
My wife wasn't enthusiastic about being a foster parent and she was too involved in her own social life to care much for any of the kids, sad to say, so most of the child rearing duties fell to me. It wasn't always easy but I learned as I went. I was a young military man fresh from one war and ready to do it again when I adopted my son. He was a little bitty fellow and I enjoyed him immensely. But the was a tenderhearted boy and if it didn't come easy for him he just didn't try. For me that was frustrating. I am the type of person that keeps at something until I have mastered it or accomplished my task or goal so it was a little frustrating with him. He was a good kid most of the time and he always showed himself to be a man of his word so there really wasn't any need to use corporal punishment with him. I believe I did a few times but I believe those times were more my shortcomings than his.
The last little girls I raised was a pure pleasure. She was cute, mature, sweet, and knew what she liked and wanted. Of all the children I helped raise she was the one that brought me the greatest joy. Only once did I ever see the child upset. She had a dress that came in two pieces: one piece was a solid white dress that was really frilly and the other piece was sheer and had strawberries drawn on it and was to be worn over the dress. One day she had gotten dressed for church and had decided she wanted to wear that outfit. Her grandmother put the white dress on her put didn't want to bother with the other part. The child wasn't happy and she became upset. Her grandmother started yelling at her and at one point even pulled back her open hand as if to strike the child.
I heard the commotion and asked what was the matter. "I explained to her grandmother that the dress was in two parts and while it could be wore separately, the child felt naked without the dress being complete. She understood and dressed her properly.
I wish I had known how to do with my son what I learned by the time I raised my last child. I learned that each child is different so rules and discipline and play time and all the activities that make up a family have to be different for each child. A parent cannot be a child's friend yet it isn't necessary to be the power broker either. I learned to respect each child for the unique person they were and deal with them from a point of respect for their feelings and their needs. A child looks to a grownup for love, support and guidance and needs our validation. They don't need our harsh words, orders, or impatient demands.
Corporal punishment does have its place. I remember once on a family and friend outing there were several of us playing horseshoes and one boy would wait until someone was ready to toss their shoes to run out in front of them. He thought it funny to disrupt our game. I cautioned the lad three times about the danger and rudeness of his actions but that only seemed to make him more determined. In my last caution to the kid I also included the punishment for not heeding my request. When I swatted his butt he had a shocked look on his face as he had always been allowed to do what he wanted to do, even making fun of his parents, with never a correction. The swat was never intended to hurt but to enforce the seriousness of the situation. Being struck by a thrown horseshoe would have been at the very least painful and it would have been irresponsible of us adults not to take proper steps to prevent injury to the boy.
Corporal punishment must be a tool in successful parenting but one that should be used sparingly if ever. Your main tool should be respect for the child and his opinions, viewing the world through the child's eyes, and recognizing the uniqueness of each individual and dealing with the situation in a rmanner that is best for that particular child.
Thursday, September 11, 2014
Granny Smith is blooming
I was a little concerned when I found my Granny Smith blooming so I did some research and found it was due to the dry summer with a cool spell followed by a warm wet spell. It makes a tree think spring is here. I am concerned because my Granny Smith is the pollinator for my Fuji trees. My crabapple died and my replacement tree hasn't arrived yet (in the spring).
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
I wish this were true
I just received the following e-mail. I wish there were a kind lady out there willing to donate to the church rather than some evil person trying to take advantage of some poor greedy soul.
I am Mrs. Nicole Maoris , I am a dying woman who have decided to donate what I have to you/churches/ motherless babies/less privileged/widows’ was diagnosed for cancer for about 2 years ago. I have been touched by god to donate from what I have inherited from my late husband to you for good work of god. I have asked god to forgive me and believe he has because he is a merciful god I will be going in for an operation soon.
I decided to will/donate the sum of $ 2.5 million dollars to you for the good work of god, and also to help the motherless and less privilege and also forth assistance of the widows. At the moment I cannot take any telephone calls right now due to the fact that my relatives (that have squandered the funds I gave them for this purpose before) are around me and my health status also. I have adjusted my will and my lawyer is aware.
I wish you all the best and May the good God bless you abundantly, and please use the funds judiciously and always extend the good work to others. As soon you get back to me, I shall give you info on what I need from you then you will contact the bank and tell them I have willed those properties to you by quoting my personal file routing and account information. And I have also notified the bank that I am willing that properties to you for a good, effective and prudent work. I know I don't know you but I have been directed to do this by god.
Yours faithful friend.
Mrs. Nicole Maoris.
Mrs. Nicole Maoris.
5 signs it’s time to look for a new job
This is from an article on Yahoo
1. Boredom
2. Bad relationship with the boss
3. Company struggling
4. company giving you hints
5. great Job Offer
The longest I ever worked at one job was 5 years and the longest I ever stayed at one company was 10. I did get bored easily.
For the most part I've always had the respect of my bosses; even the ones that didn't like me personally, but there have been a time or two when I had to get before I was gotten rid of. Once I was being used as a pawn in a disagreement between the manager and the assistant manager. During one of their arguments my boss asked me how I felt and I told the truth. It made him mad and he knew that in order for him to gain control of the department either his assistant or I had to go and he figured it was easier to get rid of me. When I met with upper management I was granted a transfer.
I've worked for eleven different companies over a fifty year period of time, six of which have been regional leaders or national chains. Seven out of the eleven are no longer in business, two had closed all there operations in my area, and of the remaining two, one was recently sold. All but one seemed to be healthy and growing when I left.
I did find myself in a bad situation once. The company had just purchased another company and I was in charge of converting three of the stores from the former owner to our way of doing business. A woman from a company crew sent to help made a financial transaction that was against company policy and when I reported the incident my job was threatened because the woman happened to be the girlfriend of one of the directors. He did his best to get rid of me but I kept my nose clean and was one of the best at my job. He did however prevent me from getting promoted twice.
I've never had a company seek me how for a potential job but I've never had a problem securing employment when seeking a job. Of course, it has always been my rule never to leave one place of employment before having another job lined up. It's kind of hard to negotiate salary when you don't have one and I'd rather explain why I want to work for a different company than to explain why I'm no longer working for anyone.
1. Boredom
2. Bad relationship with the boss
3. Company struggling
4. company giving you hints
5. great Job Offer
The longest I ever worked at one job was 5 years and the longest I ever stayed at one company was 10. I did get bored easily.
For the most part I've always had the respect of my bosses; even the ones that didn't like me personally, but there have been a time or two when I had to get before I was gotten rid of. Once I was being used as a pawn in a disagreement between the manager and the assistant manager. During one of their arguments my boss asked me how I felt and I told the truth. It made him mad and he knew that in order for him to gain control of the department either his assistant or I had to go and he figured it was easier to get rid of me. When I met with upper management I was granted a transfer.
I've worked for eleven different companies over a fifty year period of time, six of which have been regional leaders or national chains. Seven out of the eleven are no longer in business, two had closed all there operations in my area, and of the remaining two, one was recently sold. All but one seemed to be healthy and growing when I left.
I did find myself in a bad situation once. The company had just purchased another company and I was in charge of converting three of the stores from the former owner to our way of doing business. A woman from a company crew sent to help made a financial transaction that was against company policy and when I reported the incident my job was threatened because the woman happened to be the girlfriend of one of the directors. He did his best to get rid of me but I kept my nose clean and was one of the best at my job. He did however prevent me from getting promoted twice.
I've never had a company seek me how for a potential job but I've never had a problem securing employment when seeking a job. Of course, it has always been my rule never to leave one place of employment before having another job lined up. It's kind of hard to negotiate salary when you don't have one and I'd rather explain why I want to work for a different company than to explain why I'm no longer working for anyone.
Tuesday, September 09, 2014
My last bully
When I was in the ninth grade we had a new kid come into my class near the end of the school year. he was a tall, good-looking blonde guy with an athletic muscular build but he didn't play any sports that I knew of. He took a seat to the right of me and seemed to be rather quiet. One day I got to school early and when I walked into the classroom this kid asked me if I knew what a Charlie Horse was. Before I had a chance to respond he grabbed my left arm and pinched me on the forearm by grabbing skin and muscle between two knuckles. It hurt and my arm swelled up.
The next morning when I got to class he laughed and grabbed my arm again but this time I pulled away from him. He then grabbed me by my shoulders and kneed me in my left thing. Needless to say it hurt so bad I limped for most of the day.
The next day when I got to class he reach he grabbed me by my shoulders again and when I saw him pull his leg back to knee me again I shoved him. He lost his balance and fell backwards through a couple rows of desks. He was embarrassed and that made him mad to be embarrassed. He told me he would be waiting for me behind the gym when I got out of school for the day.
I was hoping he had changed his mind or forgotten about it. I really didn't want to fight him as he was 10 inches taller and probably outweighed me by 40 or 50 pounds and there wasn't an ounce of fat on the kid anywhere. Unfortunately for me I walked home from school and I had to walk past the gym on my way home. There was no way around that route home so I was really hoping he wasn't there. Well not only was he there but he invited lots of people to view my beat down. I tried to ignore hem but after being taunted I knew he would never leave me alone if I backed down plus I would leave myself open to ridicule from some of the other kids. As I walked towards him I handed my school books to a friend and took off my shirt so it wouldn't get ripped and/or soiled.
He stood there waiting for me with his fists clenched and I walked up to him he said something like how he was going to teach me a lesson. Before he could utter another word I hit him as hard as I could aiming for that sweet spot where the nose and eye meet. I believe he was more surprised than hurt and he swung back at me but he only connected with my left shoulder. It felt like he broke it as this guy was incredibly strong.
With guys taller than me I like to take them off their feet as it makes things more even but this dude was just too stout for that move. All I could do was strike out at him as fast as I could in hopes of delaying the inevitable. To my great surprise after the third or fourth time I hit him he started to cry and just turned and walked away.
No we didn't become friends He did move to another part of the room and never spoke to me or bothered me again. neither did anyone else.
I've since learned that there are much better ways to handle problems rather than physically but in the neighborhood I lived in until I was twelve fighting was a way of life. It had nothing to do with getting mad and settling differences but it seems it was just for the sport or fun of it. I learned early on that the one who threw the first blow had the best chance of winning and taking your opponent by surprise up the odds in my favor a lot more. If you were bigger than me, and if you were my age or older than you were, I had to find ways to better my odds. The older I got the bigger difference between me and others became. Fortunately for me I was athletic and wiry and fast and I was never the type of person who gave up. I don't care how much I hurt or how big the disadvantage I was going to keep coming at you until you gave up or some one broke the fight up.
I remember a high school friend of mine named Buddy D. I never knew if his name was really Buddy or if that was just a nickname but we were good friends for the last few years of high school. Even so I was surprised when he said he was going to the same college I was going too. In fact, he said, he wanted to be my roommate.
Well we hadn't been in school but just a few days when Buddy moved out of my room. No explanation; he just moved. Well, a few days later I finished my last class and as I was heading to my room there was some kids playing a pickup game of football. I was asked to join them. To my surprise my high school friend was playing on the opposition. I had been a good runner as I was slim and fast but I could run over a blocker too as I was much stronger than I looked like I should be. I soon became a favorite ball handler on my new team as I ran for a couple of scores and moved the ball for yardage on a couple of other plays. On one play I took the ball and was going to run up the middle and Buddy was the tackler. I was taken by surprise when he threw a roll block on me. I not only took a face full of grass and dirt but a great deal of laughter from my team mates.
A few plays later I again took the ball and ran up the middle and again Buddy was the tackler. He again threw a roll block but this time I just jumped over him and went on to score the touchdown. Well, Buddy got mad and stormed off the field. I never saw the guy again as the next day he put in for a transfer to another college. I never did find out what made him so angry. I would rather him to have just walked up to me and slugged me as to end our friendship without a word. That was the cruelest blow of all.
The next morning when I got to class he laughed and grabbed my arm again but this time I pulled away from him. He then grabbed me by my shoulders and kneed me in my left thing. Needless to say it hurt so bad I limped for most of the day.
The next day when I got to class he reach he grabbed me by my shoulders again and when I saw him pull his leg back to knee me again I shoved him. He lost his balance and fell backwards through a couple rows of desks. He was embarrassed and that made him mad to be embarrassed. He told me he would be waiting for me behind the gym when I got out of school for the day.
I was hoping he had changed his mind or forgotten about it. I really didn't want to fight him as he was 10 inches taller and probably outweighed me by 40 or 50 pounds and there wasn't an ounce of fat on the kid anywhere. Unfortunately for me I walked home from school and I had to walk past the gym on my way home. There was no way around that route home so I was really hoping he wasn't there. Well not only was he there but he invited lots of people to view my beat down. I tried to ignore hem but after being taunted I knew he would never leave me alone if I backed down plus I would leave myself open to ridicule from some of the other kids. As I walked towards him I handed my school books to a friend and took off my shirt so it wouldn't get ripped and/or soiled.
He stood there waiting for me with his fists clenched and I walked up to him he said something like how he was going to teach me a lesson. Before he could utter another word I hit him as hard as I could aiming for that sweet spot where the nose and eye meet. I believe he was more surprised than hurt and he swung back at me but he only connected with my left shoulder. It felt like he broke it as this guy was incredibly strong.
With guys taller than me I like to take them off their feet as it makes things more even but this dude was just too stout for that move. All I could do was strike out at him as fast as I could in hopes of delaying the inevitable. To my great surprise after the third or fourth time I hit him he started to cry and just turned and walked away.
No we didn't become friends He did move to another part of the room and never spoke to me or bothered me again. neither did anyone else.
I've since learned that there are much better ways to handle problems rather than physically but in the neighborhood I lived in until I was twelve fighting was a way of life. It had nothing to do with getting mad and settling differences but it seems it was just for the sport or fun of it. I learned early on that the one who threw the first blow had the best chance of winning and taking your opponent by surprise up the odds in my favor a lot more. If you were bigger than me, and if you were my age or older than you were, I had to find ways to better my odds. The older I got the bigger difference between me and others became. Fortunately for me I was athletic and wiry and fast and I was never the type of person who gave up. I don't care how much I hurt or how big the disadvantage I was going to keep coming at you until you gave up or some one broke the fight up.
I remember a high school friend of mine named Buddy D. I never knew if his name was really Buddy or if that was just a nickname but we were good friends for the last few years of high school. Even so I was surprised when he said he was going to the same college I was going too. In fact, he said, he wanted to be my roommate.
Well we hadn't been in school but just a few days when Buddy moved out of my room. No explanation; he just moved. Well, a few days later I finished my last class and as I was heading to my room there was some kids playing a pickup game of football. I was asked to join them. To my surprise my high school friend was playing on the opposition. I had been a good runner as I was slim and fast but I could run over a blocker too as I was much stronger than I looked like I should be. I soon became a favorite ball handler on my new team as I ran for a couple of scores and moved the ball for yardage on a couple of other plays. On one play I took the ball and was going to run up the middle and Buddy was the tackler. I was taken by surprise when he threw a roll block on me. I not only took a face full of grass and dirt but a great deal of laughter from my team mates.
A few plays later I again took the ball and ran up the middle and again Buddy was the tackler. He again threw a roll block but this time I just jumped over him and went on to score the touchdown. Well, Buddy got mad and stormed off the field. I never saw the guy again as the next day he put in for a transfer to another college. I never did find out what made him so angry. I would rather him to have just walked up to me and slugged me as to end our friendship without a word. That was the cruelest blow of all.
Friday, September 05, 2014
Candid Camera stunt was just wrong
Reminiscent of the show "What would you do" Candid Camera did a stunt involving illegal aliens, one from Mexico and one from England. Each person would stand on the street and ask passerby's to sign a petition allowing them to stay in the USA. The Englishman was dressed nicely in a suit was easy spoken and well dressed. The Mexican was dressed in a corduroy shirt that was unbuttoned, a T-shirt and faded jeans. He looked like an unemployed laborer.
The stunt smelled like a bad political statement rather than a study of human nature. At least "What would you do" would have the two men switch rolls and have a well dressed Mexican and a worker-type Englishman. And to be totally fair, they very well could have done the stunt using the same person in both roles and then repeat the performance using ladies. Then we would have a better idea if there was a racial, ethnic, gender, or cultural bias to peoples reactions.
The fact that this stunt was done in Arizona was neither typical of the locals nor fair to them. Peter Funt should be ashamed for that stunt. it was just wrong.
The stunt smelled like a bad political statement rather than a study of human nature. At least "What would you do" would have the two men switch rolls and have a well dressed Mexican and a worker-type Englishman. And to be totally fair, they very well could have done the stunt using the same person in both roles and then repeat the performance using ladies. Then we would have a better idea if there was a racial, ethnic, gender, or cultural bias to peoples reactions.
The fact that this stunt was done in Arizona was neither typical of the locals nor fair to them. Peter Funt should be ashamed for that stunt. it was just wrong.
Thursday, September 04, 2014
Do Tell
I was the subject in the Thursday, Sept 4, 2014 "Do Tell" forum in the Asheboro courier-Tribune. It seems I hit a nerve with a reader of my column entitled "How to choose a church". I doubt seriously if the writer of that comment reads my blog but if he does I just want to say "Thank You" for reading my column. He said based on my column he would choose any church but mine.
I don't have a church. If he meant he would attend any church but the one I attend then he his
choosing a church for the wrong reason. He called my column a judgmental rant and stayed I had an un-Christ-like attitude. but he failed to point out what was the Christian viewpoint should have been or which statement I made was not biblical. I would be happy to correct any beliefs I have that are in error.
In writing the column I am limited to 600 words so do not have the room to quote scripture for all my points, which are as follows:
1. God is in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Granted there is no scripture that uses all three terms at once but the three terms are used interchangeably throughout the scriptures. Jesus did state that He and the father were one and God said that Jesus was his son. No where in the scriptures is any other term used for God other than Father, Son, or Holy Ghost.
2. Jesus Christ is God. John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,
Matthew 3:17 and lo a voice from heaven saying This is my beloved Son. Isaiah 53
3. The Holy Bible is God's word: II Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God
4 Salvation is by grace; Ephesians 28 For by grace are ye saved through faith and that not of yourselves; it is a gift of God.
5. God created the earth and Adam and Eve. Genesis 1
6 Jesus is the only means of salvation john 14:6 Jesus saith unto him "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh into the Father but by me.
7. The miracles of the scriptures are real II Timothy 3:16
8. Israel is Gods chosen people Genesis 15:18, 17:6,7
9 Jesus was born of a virgin Isaiah 7:14 There for the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Immanuel, Matthew 1:23 Behold a virgin shall be with child
10. Christ shall return, There will be a judgment for all, there are eternal rewards and eternal punishment Revelation Chapter 20, Revelation 2:10, James 1:2, Ii timothy 4:8, I Cor. 9:25, De. 32:22,
II Peter 2:4,
These are not the only scriptures but these should suffice to establish my article as being not only biblical but Christ like St John 1:1 stares :In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.
I firmly believe that there will be people from many different churches and many different denominations saved and enter into heaven. The point of my article was not that you have to go to my church to be saved but when choosing a church to attend it is best to chose one that base their teachings on God's word. That is neither judgmental nor a rant and to urge one to follow Christ is certainly not un-Christ-like.
Wednesday, September 03, 2014
Cat Tree Bloomed
After snapping their picture on the cat tree, each cat took turns posing for individual shots. None were prompted. I thought it so amazing.
Youth Revival
On the 14th, 15th, and 16th One Way Baptist church is having a youth revival. There will be a different speaker each night. One night there will be a preacher from Georgia, one night Rev. Steve Rowe, head of the fellowship will be speaking and the third night will be a 14 year old preacher from a church near Charlotte.
This will be a great opportunity for the young people to really enjoy a church service and also a great opportunity for the parents to get to know the people at One Way Baptist.
This will be a great opportunity for the young people to really enjoy a church service and also a great opportunity for the parents to get to know the people at One Way Baptist.
Shooting at Randleman Mcdonalds
Shooting at McDonalds
Sunday August 31, 2014 between 5 and 6 pm two customers at the McDonalds in Randleman, NC engaged in angry words. One pulled a weapon and shot the second one. Word has it he was shot in one of his wrists.
I have no other details to report at this time but I do have a word of caution. Randolph County residents are the fourth most heavily armed citizens in the state with 51% of the citizens own firearms. Be careful who you have words with or any type of confrontation.
Sunday, August 31, 2014
You've been washing your fruits and vegetables all wrong
Yep, that's the title of another yahoo article telling us we are stupid, bumbling idiots. Can't wash vegetables, can't cut up a watermelon, and can't even tie my shoes. Well, I'm so old I once sat on Plato's knee so I've lots of experience at doing mundane, common, ordinary tasks and I certainly don't need Yahoo telling me I'm stupid. Most of their writers can't spell or compose proper sentences and the one that wrote this one probably can't even cook. Go away Yahoo and let me wallow in my own stupidity. If I can't wash a vegetable I doubt I can read your article.
What becomes of new beginnings?
I was looking back at photographs taken in March and comparing them to the reality of now and I realized that the march photos showed what promised to be and the now pictures showed what has become of those promises.
In the earlier photos I had just tilled the soil, most fruit trees had no leaves on them and just a few had some blooms. The earth promised a bountiful garden and some fresh fruit at summers end. Some of those promises were fulfilled. I had more than enough jalapeno peppers to eat, can and share with friends, and plenty of squash. My cherry trees had blooms and promised to provide my first fruit.
The reality was tomatoes were plentiful but just didn't want to ripen, there was no fruit on my cherry trees and my pollinator tree died, carrots never grew up, the peach crop was pitiful, and the apple crop was almost as bad. What was good was grapes, cucumbers, cantaloupes, and a bountiful watermelon crop.
Flowers were beautiful this year and my Hibiscus bloomed for the first time. While not all promises were fulfilled it was a good year with plenty to eat and plenty to share.
In the earlier photos I had just tilled the soil, most fruit trees had no leaves on them and just a few had some blooms. The earth promised a bountiful garden and some fresh fruit at summers end. Some of those promises were fulfilled. I had more than enough jalapeno peppers to eat, can and share with friends, and plenty of squash. My cherry trees had blooms and promised to provide my first fruit.
The reality was tomatoes were plentiful but just didn't want to ripen, there was no fruit on my cherry trees and my pollinator tree died, carrots never grew up, the peach crop was pitiful, and the apple crop was almost as bad. What was good was grapes, cucumbers, cantaloupes, and a bountiful watermelon crop.
Flowers were beautiful this year and my Hibiscus bloomed for the first time. While not all promises were fulfilled it was a good year with plenty to eat and plenty to share.
Friday, August 29, 2014
Newspaper article courier-Tribune
My article "How to choose a church" came out in todays paper. I think it was good especially considering I only had an hour to write the paper after an long exhausting trip to see a doctor and then to Hickory to take care of Mom. I got home at 5 and hate to fix something to eat and be at church at 7 so I think I did good to get it written in such a short time frame.
If you want to read it find a copy of Fridays Courier-Tribune.
If you want to read it find a copy of Fridays Courier-Tribune.
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Why do Americans mistrust Police?
I have always been pro police. After all, who can one depend on in time of trouble to help out? Even so there have been times police have done me wrong. One time, in particular, still angers me. I had stopped at an ATM to get the last twenty dollars available to me so I could get something to eat. It was still three days to pay day and money was precious back then. On the way to the store I had to stop behind a line of traffic at a traffic light that had turned red for my lane. I was on Main Street in downtown High Point and the light in question was the one just before Roses heading toward Archdale. Anyway, that's when a strange thing occurred.
A woman was walking up the sidewalk and she raise her hand as if to say hello. I smiled and nodded back at her and to my surprise she opened the passenger door to by truck and hopped in. Her actions left me temporarily stunned and before I could recovery and object to her actions a police car pulled in behind me and turned on his lights. He asked to step out of the truck and then asked me for my license. After I showed them to him he asked for insurance and registration and when I went back to the truck to get them I laid my wallet on my seat. The cop asked me about the woman and I told him what happened.
He asked to see my ID again and when I retrieved my wallet my $20.00 was missing. I told the police officer that the woman must have taken my money while he was talking with me. Sure enough, she had a $20.00 bill on her but instead of giving it back to me he stuck it in his pocket saying "I'm keeping this as evidence."
It was really hard the next several days. I was really hungry by the time payday rolled around.
I once had some money stolen from me and the police refused to help me get it back even though I knew exactly where the thief was. The cop told me they didn't help people recover lost money while the victim was committing a crime. In other words they believed I got ripped off trying to make a drug buy. I have never purchased illegal drugs or any drugs for illegal purposes nor have I ever used any or sold any.
On the other hand a cop stopped me for speeding and he was going to let me go when he thought I was a fellow cop. That wasn't right either for police have no more right to break the law than anyone else does.
One would think that the higher ranking officers would be more honest and trustworthy than the newer members of the police force but I've found the opposite to be true. Some cops love to be bullies and some have learned how to use the privileges of being a cop to their advantage. Policemen are no more hones than the average joe is out there and that's what's really scary.
A woman was walking up the sidewalk and she raise her hand as if to say hello. I smiled and nodded back at her and to my surprise she opened the passenger door to by truck and hopped in. Her actions left me temporarily stunned and before I could recovery and object to her actions a police car pulled in behind me and turned on his lights. He asked to step out of the truck and then asked me for my license. After I showed them to him he asked for insurance and registration and when I went back to the truck to get them I laid my wallet on my seat. The cop asked me about the woman and I told him what happened.
He asked to see my ID again and when I retrieved my wallet my $20.00 was missing. I told the police officer that the woman must have taken my money while he was talking with me. Sure enough, she had a $20.00 bill on her but instead of giving it back to me he stuck it in his pocket saying "I'm keeping this as evidence."
It was really hard the next several days. I was really hungry by the time payday rolled around.
I once had some money stolen from me and the police refused to help me get it back even though I knew exactly where the thief was. The cop told me they didn't help people recover lost money while the victim was committing a crime. In other words they believed I got ripped off trying to make a drug buy. I have never purchased illegal drugs or any drugs for illegal purposes nor have I ever used any or sold any.
On the other hand a cop stopped me for speeding and he was going to let me go when he thought I was a fellow cop. That wasn't right either for police have no more right to break the law than anyone else does.
One would think that the higher ranking officers would be more honest and trustworthy than the newer members of the police force but I've found the opposite to be true. Some cops love to be bullies and some have learned how to use the privileges of being a cop to their advantage. Policemen are no more hones than the average joe is out there and that's what's really scary.
Saturday, August 23, 2014
Friday, August 22, 2014
What if we were all the same?
When I worked for the Huntsville Item back in the day the paper ran an article about a small boy on a bicycle who was struck by a car and died. The paper identified the boy by race referring to him as a young black boy. Probably nothing would have become of it had the boy been black but the parents of the white child sued the paper. The decision was made that unless a persons race was vital to the story it would never be mentioned again.
A white man, unarmed, was shot dead by a black cop but drew nary a headline while Ferguson rages out of control. I wonder if we ever learn the lesson learned by the newspaper I once worked for if racial relations would not improve. If we stop referring to each other as blacks and African Americans and just refer to ourselves as Americans maybe we can begin to see ourselves as one people instead of polar opposites occupying the same space. I am much more likely to help someone who is like me. In other words I am more likely to help a fellow American that I am a black man or a white man.
Apparently bring the two races together in an educational setting has done nothing to bring the two races closer together for we seem to be living in two different cultures. I was taught that America was a melting pot when in actuality it is just a pot of stew with each ingredient clearly distinguishable from each other and all just simmering right below the boiling point. Sometimes, like in Ferguson, the a bubble burst and a tiny bit boils over.
A white man, unarmed, was shot dead by a black cop but drew nary a headline while Ferguson rages out of control. I wonder if we ever learn the lesson learned by the newspaper I once worked for if racial relations would not improve. If we stop referring to each other as blacks and African Americans and just refer to ourselves as Americans maybe we can begin to see ourselves as one people instead of polar opposites occupying the same space. I am much more likely to help someone who is like me. In other words I am more likely to help a fellow American that I am a black man or a white man.
Apparently bring the two races together in an educational setting has done nothing to bring the two races closer together for we seem to be living in two different cultures. I was taught that America was a melting pot when in actuality it is just a pot of stew with each ingredient clearly distinguishable from each other and all just simmering right below the boiling point. Sometimes, like in Ferguson, the a bubble burst and a tiny bit boils over.
Thursday, August 21, 2014
Why did my eectric bill go up?
Beginning in July 2011 and ending in August 2012 we paid $118.00 per month with a $283.00 credit at years end. The next 12 months, ending in August 2013 we paid $103.00 per month with a $187.00 credit an years end and the next 12 months ending this month we paid $100.00 per month and owe $99.98 at years end. Money wise it would seem we paid more this year than last year. Our average daily cost dropped from $3.71 to $3.41 and then rose to $3.45 this year again making one think they have used more power.
What seems upsetting the most is the efforts we have taken to use less. Drying close in the early morning hours when it is cool so as not to overheat the house and make the air conditioner work harder in the simmer and to help warm the home in the cooler months. We upgraded to a dishwasher to use less water and purchased more energy efficient laundry room appliances and a new refrigerator. But the biggy we did was add a cover to our front porch. The front of the house faces the setting sun so it gets bright and hot in the evenings. The front door knob was so hot it would take the skin off ones hand. With the cover to the porch, the front rooms stay cooler and one can actually see the TV screen. The air conditioner actually ran less. Couple that with a slightly cooler summer than last year one would think that ones electric bill would go down.
The first full year we used 1180 kw per month and the second year it was 1018 and the third year it was just 960. So our cost cutting measures have taken effect and are working. So why is our bill higher?
It seems Duke energy raised its rates and has been approved for yet another rate hike. We work hard to save energy and cut costs and Duke works just as hard raising rates to keep things the same.
I knew when I built the porch cover we would never save enough on our power bill to justify the costs. Being able to sit in the living room and gain use of the front porch was worth the costs though. it seems a major victory in todays economy just to be able to keep costs the same.
What seems upsetting the most is the efforts we have taken to use less. Drying close in the early morning hours when it is cool so as not to overheat the house and make the air conditioner work harder in the simmer and to help warm the home in the cooler months. We upgraded to a dishwasher to use less water and purchased more energy efficient laundry room appliances and a new refrigerator. But the biggy we did was add a cover to our front porch. The front of the house faces the setting sun so it gets bright and hot in the evenings. The front door knob was so hot it would take the skin off ones hand. With the cover to the porch, the front rooms stay cooler and one can actually see the TV screen. The air conditioner actually ran less. Couple that with a slightly cooler summer than last year one would think that ones electric bill would go down.
The first full year we used 1180 kw per month and the second year it was 1018 and the third year it was just 960. So our cost cutting measures have taken effect and are working. So why is our bill higher?
It seems Duke energy raised its rates and has been approved for yet another rate hike. We work hard to save energy and cut costs and Duke works just as hard raising rates to keep things the same.
I knew when I built the porch cover we would never save enough on our power bill to justify the costs. Being able to sit in the living room and gain use of the front porch was worth the costs though. it seems a major victory in todays economy just to be able to keep costs the same.
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