Southwest Airlines apologizes after coach's claim that staffer asked her to prove biracial son was her child

   I do not think Southwest Airlines has anything to apologize for.  If anything she owes them an apology for getting upset that the airline employee was looking out for the best interest of her child.
   In case you didn't read the story, a female basketball coach who is white tried to board a plane with a biracial baby.  The cause for concern for  the airline employee was that her last name and the baby's last name were different.  The employee just wanted to make sure the baby was safe.

Comment sections

  MSN website does not allow comments on their articles and I have come across some other news providers that do not allow comments on their articles either.  The reason cited by one site, and I have no doubt their reasoning is the same or nearly the same as other sites not allowing comments, is that so many of the comments are filled with hate, intolerance, racial slurs, insults, and rudeness.
   Many years ago CB radios became popular in passenger cars and one could apply for a license to operate one.  I had one and found them to be handy in some circumstances.  But as the radios became more popular people would resort to insulting other users and things got so bad that most people stopped using CB's so they didn't have to listen to the disrespectful chatter.
   It does seems that when you give people freedom to express themselves and the anonymity to hide their identity then the harassing speech quickly follows.  Democrats insult Republicans, whites insult blacks, non believers insult Christians, straights insult gays, men comment on women's bodies and what they would like to do, and almost everyone insults police officers.  The other side of this coin is just as childish as the first side.
  We can have a difference of opinion and have a meaningful discussion without resorting to calling each other names.  Once one person attacks then the other goes into defensive mode and the fight is on.  It should not be this way.

A deeper faith 5-27-2018

  I missed the first three but if you view this message please leave me a comment, even if just your first name.  Our pastor is young but our attendance is growing.  I would like for you to join us.

fishing

  Today was one of those rare occasions when I got to go fishing.  Yesterday I sent my mower out for repair and it was returned today:  cost was $37.00.  One of the hooks that holds the fan belt in place was bent.  The repairman disconnected that annoying feature that requires one to stop the blades before going in reverse.  The pickup and delivery charge was $25.00 so I got out cheap.  I also fixed the church sign but got one line crooked. The cost of all the letters was only $10.00 I also got out cheap.   I feel bad for getting the line crooked but once the letters are on the sign they are there to stay.
  The VA called and approved my medications and filled my prescriptions.

  So far I'm having a good day.  

Diabetes, weight loss, and prostate cancer

  My last three A1c screening were disturbing: 9.6, 8.4, and then back to 9.6.  The average healthy person has an A1c of around 5.  I was taking Metformin, glipizide, and insulin.  The doctor dropped insulin and added Invokana and when that didn't help wanted to put me on Humolog.  I thought to myself, this is unacceptable.
  Even though I had been losing weight I diabetes was out of control.  I exercise regularly and thought I was doing what I was supposed to do.  Then I realized my problem.  A healthy diet isn't just about eating the correct number of calories and getting proper nutrition.  For a diabetic it's also about controlling spikes in blood sugar.  One side affect of failing to control ones diabetes is high triglycerides.  Why my total cholesterol was low, my good was acceptable as was my bad, my  triglycerides was extremely high.  What's really sad is I take medicine to keep it within proper range but it's still out of control.
  I decided enough was enough.  It is more than necessary to control what I eat as well as how much.
I have stopped taking the Invokana , never took the humolog, and my average blood sugar reading before breakfast has dropped from over 200 to 90.  And just as good, my blood sugar spikes, which once jumped into the 4 and five hundreds has stabilized as less than 125, except once.  My wife has some dilly bars and I ate a couple bites of one.  My blood sugar spiked to 180.  That's not unacceptable but that's not what I want to accomplish.
  As far as weight loss, I've dropped 20 pounds so far.  I'm halfway to my goal and I'm making steady progress.
  Oh yea, the other thing.  I just got the news.  It's not all bad.  It's non life threatening for now and it's treatable.  I am also a Vietnam Vet who was boots-on-the-ground so I get some help.  I should because chances are good that being in Nam gave me my health problems to begin with.  My weight gain is a side effect of the medications I take.  It's really difficult for me to lose weight because my medicine leaves me with a hungry feeling 24/7.  I've gone to a buffet, eaten until I'm full, and still feel hungry.  But I'm winning the battle of the bulge, getting my blood sugar under control, and I'll beat the prostate cancer too.  

If it sounds to good to be true

  Last year a friend told us about the great health insurance plan they had through AARP called Medicare complete.  I called the company and they said there would be no premiums.  I gave them a list of my current medications   and they assured me there was zero cost if I filled them through there online pharmacy.
   This is a big decision because I was receiving care through the VA.  My prescriptions were only $8.00  a month but with all my prescriptions and supplies the total came to $64.00.  It's not much but I'm on a fixed income so if I could save $64.00 a month I would.  The biggest hurdle is that the VA will only fill prescriptions they write and only at the VA.  I would have to see a civilian doctor.  I didn't mind since the co-pay was zero and I could get more responsive care.  I made the change.
 
The first time I had my meds filled they were zero except for the insulin.  They said there was a $25.00 co-pay.  I would have still made the switch if they had told be that but I had asked them point blank and they said is would be zero.  All tier one drugs are zero cost.
 
   Now they want to charge me $578.00.  They claim my medication should never have been free and that I have reached my deductible.  None of that was explained when I took the insurance.  Since it costs nothings I will keep it but I'll not get prescriptions from the AARP Health Care plan anymore.

 

May 13, 2018 Proverbs 31 woman

"If we let everyone go then there would be no one in jail"

  A story on MSNBC details the plight on one young woman who was stopped for a tag light being out on her car.  The officer that stopped her discovered the lady had an suspended driver's license and a failure to appear on another traffic charge.  He was just going to give her a citation and have her car towed but another officer talked him into arresting her.
   This article isn't about this particular woman but about the plight of many people, particularly blacks and especially young black women.  It details their plight because so many are to poor to afford bail money. It is written so as to make us feel sorry for those ladies and to set us against the bail system.
   In fact the bail system is in place so that people do not have to spend time in jail while awaiting trial.  I do not believe the bail system is unfair to poor people.  The lady should have registered her car as required by law.  If she had then she would not have been charged in the first place.  If she had gone to court instead of skipping the court date because she could not afford the ticket, the courts would have worked with her.  If she had made sure her car was legal to drive she would not have been stopped the second time.
   In other words if somewhere in this scenario she had acceptable responsibility for her actions she would never had needed bail in the first place.
  Being poor is no disgrace.  I'm poor.  My income places me just barely above the poverty line.  I keep my car repaired and I obey the law.  Recently I mailed my taxes to the tax department.  It should have been mailed to the NCDMV so my tag expired before I got my new sticker.  I had to arrange rides for the important stuff and skip the non essential things for a couple of weeks.  I could have easily just jumped in my car and driven it to the church which is a straight shot of 1/2 mile from the house.  Chances are high I would never had been stopped.  But if I had been I would have had a ticket to pay plus court costs.  If I just didn't go to court because I didn't have the money for the ticket I could have ended up in jail just like this woman.  It has nothing to do with being young, black or female.  It has everything to do with  making proper decisions and accepting responsibility.

My new plants

The top picture is the hanging planter  which I placed some plants from the spring plant sale at the zoo.  The center picture is of the new butterfly garden .  it has a butterfly bush, two kinds of bee balm, a black eyed Susan and one other plant with a funny name.  

The bottom picture is a mistake.   

Visit with friends

   I served in Vietnam in 1971/1972.  I was an air crewman on planes that flew daily missions in support of our troops inn Vietnam  and on my first mission I met a fellow sailor and we have been friends since that February day in 1971.  Through the years I have been to his place in Ohio and he has come to visit me wherever I have lived.  About 16 years ago he and his wife retired and for eight years traveled the United States of America visiting various beaches.  Eight years ago they purchased a motor home and have traveled around the Southern States.  Often in the Spring they head home to Ohio to visit family and friends there and quite often will stop by to visit me.  A few years ago they made it here for my birthday in November and gave me a lottery ticket as a present.
   They play occasionally and the most my friend and his wife have ever won was $40.00 but the one they gave me was worth a thousand.  I did share with them.
   They stopped by yesterday for a visit.   My old friend, although 4 years younger than me, is not in the best of health and he and his wife are considering settling down.  He said he was a little jealous of my house and gardens.  I told him I had been a little envious of all the different places he has been and things he has seen.
  We all have to make our choices in this life and when we chose to do something then a lot of others things give left by the wayside.  Often people let life dictate their decisions but sometimes we have to be bold and reach out for our dreams For me it is to be the best servant of God that I can be and to make my wife love me.

Mothers Day and the Zoo

  Instead of buying my wife a bouquet of flowers and dinner for Mother's day or Valentines Day, I try to find a way to make the day last forever, or at least a very long time.  I started by planting her a rose bush and now I have six.  I made her a rock garden and placed a statue of an angel in the center as a memorial to her mother since her mother was fond of angels.
   This year i celebrated her days by building her a butterfly garden.  I made a list of flowers and plants that are attractive to butterflies and purchased some of those plants at the spring plant sale at the NC Zoo at Asheboro.  I snagged 11 plants for only $42.00,  Seven of those plants were   strictly for the butterfly garden.  Three were for a hanging basket and the other one was for our water feature.    Neither the water feature or the butterfly garden is impressive now but once the plants fill out and multiply it is going to be very attractive to butterflies and to us.  It may take a year or two to live up to it's potential.  I already had a butterfly bush and a phlox garden as well as some Milk Weed, which I purchased last year at the Zoo plant sale.  Last year my butterfly bush, planted at the front of the house, was covered in butterflies for much of the summer.
   Milk weed is supposedly the only plant that Monarch butterflies will land on.  That may well be why we just don't see them around here.  They look much healthier this year than when I planted them and are beginning to multiply.  They have an orange flower on them.
  I'm not suggesting that you plant your Mom a flower garden because she may not want one for various reasons.  That's just what I do and my wife likes the idea.  If you really want to honor your Mom on mother's day take her to church and just spend some time with her.  The bible tells us to honor our Mother's and we will live long.  There is a big difference between saying "I love you", just showing respect, and really honoring your Mother so don't think you are fulfilling the commandment just because you call her now and then, stop by once in a while and buy her some flowers and/or a card on Mothers Day.
   I don't care if she is the meanest, most hateful, or undeserving Mother in the world.  God says we are to honor her.  do you know more than God?

Left over furniture.

  There are a few furniture items left from the yard sale at Academy Street Baptist.  A set of bunk beds and a bedroom set.  if one knows how to refinish furniture the bedroom set could be made to be a really nice set.  Contact the church( Facebook/ Anthony/Larissa Green) if you are interested.  We are trying to get a nice playground set for the kids.

Wednesday Night, May 9, 2018.

 Wednesday night at 6 pm Jimmy Davis will be the guest speaker at Academy Street Baptist Church.  He is a guitar picker, singer as well as a preacher.  I'm looking forward to seeing him Wednesday night.  I would really like to see you there too.

Battle with Diabetes

  For the past year or so I lost control of my diabetic conditional and my A1c has been at least 8.4 but more often up to 9.6.  For those who don't know A1c means the average blood sugar reading for the past 3 months.  Normal is 5.0 or below.
   Diabetics test their blood sugar reading using a meter and test stripe which gives us a daily reading.
The reading at a normal level is 90 -110.  In order to get an A1c of 8.4 or higher ones blood sugar   needs to average around 400 or higher on a daily basis.
  What makes it difficult is one can have a test result of 160 first thing in the morning and then have a proper breakfast but still have a blood sugar spike up to 400 and 500 hundred.  The cause is the body is not making insulin or not making enough insulin.  The solution is medicine, usually metformin.  If one cannot control their diabetes with metformin then other medicines are prescribed, then insulin and then other types of medicine can be given.  How much and when depends upon a particular person's ability to regulate their blood sugar reading.
   A person's diet and weight and exercise regime has a lot to do with their diabetes.  In my case I was able to control mine through diet for many years.  I lost 50 pounds and when I retired I embarked on a rigorous exercise program.  I thought I was fine until my next doctor's visit but I wasn't.  I began taking insulin.   I was warned that insulin would probably cause me to gain some weight.  It did.,  Over the next few years I gained 34 pounds but only had to take a token amount of insulin.  But in the last year my ability to control my blood sugar readings was almost nil.  My doctor but me on Invokana as well as increased  my insulin usage.  It seemed my diabetes got worse.  My doctor increased how often I take insulin and prescribed another medication.  Invokana is expensive and so is the additional medication.  In fact the two medications together is twice my monthly disposable income.
    I made a decision.  i was not going to allow diabetes to control me.  Even though I exercise everyday for at least an hour and I had been losing weight (13 pounds in three months) my diabetes was winning the battle for my health.  I made another change in my diet.  It has been hard.  I'll have to wait to find out if I continue to lose weight but my morning blood sugar reading has dropped from an average of 220 to  95.  My last two have been below 90 so I'll have to be careful not to let it drop too low.  I'm really encouraged by the results.
   I'm not saying I have the problem under control.  It's still to early to tell.  All I can say for now is that things are better.  

Teacher of the year shares speech Trump wouldn't let her read to reporters

   I am a Republican but I also am a Christian.  As a Republican I do believe in having a strong business economy so people will have jobs, earn a good living, and provide for themselves.  I did believe we needed health care reform as we should be able to purchase descent health care no matter where we work but that's pretty much it for me.
   As a Christian I do have a lot of sympathy and empathy for others.  I agree that immigrants and refuges  have a right to the same benefits of being American as Americans do except for voting and office holding.  But I also think that if you are a citizen of another country, the country you are a citizen of is the one responsible for you.  If you break into my house, I'm not going to feed and clothe you and see that you have an education and a job.  I'm going to call the police and you will be arrested.
   It is expensive yet humane that this country  does jail people for long periods of time for being here illegally but does provide them transportation back to their home.  How would you feel if someone broke into your house and all the police did was give them a ride home?  The police won't give you a ride to work if your car broke down.  They won't give your kids a ride to school if they miss the bus and your spouse is driving the only car in the family.  What if we treated illegal immigrants exactly the same as their home countries would treat you if you decided to take up residence there without the legal right to do so?
   I understand why people want to live in America and I understand that they are human just like me and I also understand they are willing to do the jobs that most Americans are unwilling to do.  If allowing anyone who wants to live here just move here is the way Americans think it should be then let our laws reflect that.  In order for a society to function properly we must have laws to govern behavior and for that society to survive we must have citizen that obey those laws.  Just because you disagree with the law does not give you the right to violate that law. It does give you the right to attempt to change that law.

Staycation

    My favorite way of taking a vacation is a one day road trip.  Occasionally my wife and I will stay over night somewhere, as we did Thursday night in our trip to Kure beach.  The weather was perfect, the beaches clean, and the travel uneventful except for one incident of someone entering Andrew Jackson Hwy's North bound lane heading South.  I didn't get to see the outcome of that event but I do hope it was uneventful.
    My wife and I had a great time.  The walk on the beach   was really nice, the fishing was great, the motel room was comfortable, and all the events were enjoyable.  In fact, those two days were some of the most enjoyable of my life.  Still, it was nice to get home.