Pecan Corner

"You will never be forgotten"

2012-01-29T07:37:00.000-08:00

“To them I will give in My house and within My walls a memorial,
And a name better than that of sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name which will not be cut off.”
Isaiah 56:5 (American Standard Version)

On The Christian Woman blog, Gwenn McKone has written a beautiful meditation on the verse above, titled "Restoring what others have taken":

"To me, this is one of the tenderest passages in all of scripture. God is saying, “I know what has happened to you and my heart grieves for you. Your life is your work because it is all you have, but if you will do what pleases me, and keep my sabbath, I will give you something better that no one can ever take away from you.”

Her article is a blessing - click here to read it all.

In this Old Testament passage, Isaiah 56:1-8 (Good News Version), God also reminds of His promise to Israel to bring others to join them in their redemption: that His mercy is open to all who follow him, that His people will come from all nations. He lovingly foretells the salvation that Jesus will bring to the world.

Our Father God can, and will, heal us of all things, and will make us - and our circumstances - even better, more perfect, than we would have been, and that perfection will be everlasting.

Bubbles? What Bubbles?

2012-01-27T16:57:00.000-08:00

I have been having hissy fits at Yahoo about their slanted headlines, and propensity for putting undergrad opinion pieces under the "News" heading. This morning, the headline was so bad that Mad Magazine would have rejected it.

But the guy over at "The Wingnut Musings" (aka The FourthCheckRaise) (who has just published a book of the same title) found a neat little way to take the hot air out of the ridiculousness of it all:

The "How Thick is Your Bubble Quiz" !

I am proud to say I am bubble-deprived, and I feel a whole lot better:

How Thick Is Your Bubble? » exam maker

"On a scale from 0 to 20 points, where 20 signifies full engagement with mainstream American culture and 0 signifies deep cultural isolation within the new upper class bubble, you scored between 13 and 16.

"In other words, you don't even have a bubble."

Hee! I do have to admit the ones I missed were probably the very ones that would have let me be an honorary redneck, but oh well. Can't be all things to everyone, right?

Try the test and see if you've been encased in soapy surface tension all this time without knowing it! ;-)

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Today, It's: Mail Art.

2012-01-21T11:38:00.000-08:00

Well, my candidate has taken his name off the ballot for President. I guess the good news is that at least Texans won't have to worry about who is going to govern our state. Governor Perry, Governor Palin , and Todd Palin have endorsed Newt Gingrich. I will pray they are right, and turn my attention to daily, ordinary life for a while.

I wander the web like I used to wander bookstores. Each week, some new thing will catch my attention, and I learn about it. Last time, it was Home Bee Keeping. More on that another time, because:

Today, it's Mail Art.

In this month's AAPA bundle (what people did before blogs), the Six Mile Press offering was about Carnegie Libraries. It inspired me, so for February's bundle, I'm making postcards out of a photo I took of the Carnegie Library in my hometown. I had prints made at Walmart.com, will use acetone to erase the corporate printing on the backs, rubber stamps to print "Post Card" on the backs, and stickers to label the front. (I'll add a photo to the blog when the project is done.)

Back to Mail Art. I wanted ideas for "arting up" my project, so went looking. Here are some places I found clever inspiration:

Everyday should be a Red Letter Day…

2012 Graceful Envelope Contest (and archives of past winners)

The Missive Maven

Austin Kleon's Blog, and esp. "How To Steal Like An Artist"

Postcrossing: The Postcard Crossing Project

S-FIMail

Good Mail Day

How fun is this? I may be looking at a new hobby-ette! Or, at least, until something else attracts my attention...

How To Section a Grapefruit (or an Orange) and Remove the Membranes

2012-01-06T15:27:00.000-08:00

I nearly forgot to share this. and here we are in Texas Citrus Season again. The sweetest, most amazing grapefruits in the whole world are those grown in Texas. The flavor of Texas citrus is unsurpassed.

Paul showed me how to section a grapefruit a few years ago, and it is brilliant. He was smart: now, when the Texas Ruby Red Grapefruits are ripe, I section a whole bag of them and put them in a big jar in the fridge. So he can just dish them out for breakfast.

This method can also be used for oranges, and will really improve your Ambrosia (with or without marshmallows ;-)).

Here's how:

Using a sharp knife, cut off the ends and down each side of the grapefruit, removing all the rind and white and exposing the fruit.

Work over a large, shallow bowl to catch all the yummy juice. This is a messy task. Wear your old apron and have a dishtowel handy.

Hold the peeled grapefruit in your "off" hand (non-dominant) and run the knife blade carefully down between the membrane and one section. When you reach the bottom of that section, slide the knife along and up the other side of the same section, so that the single section is separated and will drop into the bowl.

Repeat until all are removed. It sounds a lot harder than it is - in reality, the sections slide away from the membrane easily. Do be careful with the knife though. No need to hurry or take risks. I am a lefthanded clutz, so often I will use a serrated knife (with ambidextrous or lefty serrations) to avoid cutting myself.

When all are done, remove all the seeds and put into a clean mason jar, and refrigerate. I don't know how long they will keep, because we always eat them all within 3 or 4 days!

A President's Work Day... or Not

2012-01-05T16:02:00.000-08:00

By adding Keith Koffler's "White House Dossier" blog to my reading list, President Obama's daily schedule has sort of come into the realm of stuff I see. I'm not really interested in what is on other people's calendars, but something has been bugging me about that schedule. And I finally figured it out.

This is the first president in my lifetime who doesn't work a full day. Ever.

Generally, a US President starts his day with meetings at 7 or 730 am, and continues for at least the next 12 hours. Now, that may sound like a long day, but for pete's sake it's only for 4 years, after which the president collects a life-long retirement income and security. Having worked 80 to 100 hour weeks myself on a regular basis in an intense (but not of national importance) job, I expect anyone on the national stage to step up and willingly do the same.

And all our previous presidents did so. But not this one.

For example, compare President Ford's calendar for January 5th with that of President Obama.

History remembers President Ford well, but not really as an overachiever or hard worker. And he was president during a rather calm time in our national life, so I would think his calendar would be rather less crowded than, say, President Obama, who is having to run another war into the ground and build an economic shambles he can occupy. Oh, and who just returned from a long vacation, so probably has a ton of work that's been waiting for him.

We'll let the current president go first, courtesy of Mr Koffler:

Obama Schedule || Thursday, January 5, 2012

10:00 am || Receives the Presidential Daily Briefing
10:50 am || Delivers remarks on the Defense Strategic Review; The Pentagon
3:30 pm || Meets with Treasury Secretary Geithner

All times Eastern

Next, courtesy of the Ford Library Museum, President Ford's Daily Diary for Monday, January 5, 1976:

7:45
The President went to the Oval Office.
7:55 8:05
The President met with his Counsellor, John o. Marsh, Jr.
8:05
The President went to the Roosevelt Room.
8:05 8:38
The President met with White House senior staff.
8:38
The President returned to the Oval Office.
8:49
The President went to the South Grounds of the White House.
8:51 8:59 EST CST 9:00 10:05
The President flew by helicopter from the South Grounds to Andrews AFB, Maryland. (Actual flying time: 2 hours, 5 minutes)
10:10
The President was greeted by: Governor Christopher S. Bond (R-Missouri) John C. Danforth, Missouri State Attorney General
10:15 10:17
The President participated in a question and answer session with members of the press.
10:17
The President went to his motorcade.
10:17 10:37
The President, accompanied by Governor Bond, motored from Lambert Field AFB to Kiel Auditorium, 1400 Market Street.
10:37
The President was greeted by President of the American Farm Bureau Federation William J. Kuhfuss.
10:40
The President, escorted by Mr. Kuhfuss, went to the holding room. The President attended the American Farm Bureau Federation Convention. Members of the press

~~~

Ok I'm tired, and it's not even noon yet. President Ford went on to address a crowd of 5,000 convention attendees, take part in individual photo sessions with all the Farm Bureau State Presidents, had lunch with them, met with the Secretary of Agriculture, sat for an interview with 20 Midwest Media Representative, met with his campaign committee, called a Major's widow to express condolences, flew back to Washington DC, arriving at 6:59 and then met with the Cabinet Secretary, followed by a meeting with Special Assistants to the Secretary of the Treasury. President Ford finally went upstairs at 7:50 pm and had dinner with Betty. But his day wasn't over until 9:56 pm, when he spoke with an executive for Reader's Digest magazine.

This was a pretty average day for Gerald Ford. You can go see the rest of President Ford's daily calendars here. Just pick one. Any one. They are all like that: long, long days, usually starting about 7:45 am and not over until at least 12 hours later.

I don't suppose any of this matters much, but I think I liked the old days, when Presidents had to earn their keep by actually working a full day while they were in the White House.

January 6 UPDATE: Today's schedule is even less like every other President's, and more like that of a game show winner "President For A Day", and ends at noon.

A Speech Worthy of History

2012-01-05T03:45:00.000-08:00

Who says there are no statesmen today? One of my favorite bloggers, "Quite Rightly" of "Bread upon the Waters" (also linked from my sidebar) has embedded Michele Bachmann's speech in which she gracefully steps out of the primaries and back into her role as an elected member of the House of Representatives. Mrs. Bachmann's speech is the stuff of which history is made.

Opening with a reminder that we are "encompassed by a great cloud of witnesses" who've worked throughout hundreds of years to forge American Liberty, Mrs Bachmann reminds us what is at stake, and what we have to lose - and why we must all stand up - stand up - for our God-given, inalienable liberties as embodied in the United States Constitution.

Go listen to it all. It's a beautiful speech, given flawlessly and with heart. I think perhaps it is much the same speech she would have given had it been made under different circumstances, because it is simple truth. Hearing it inspired me, and it is a speech worthy to be remembered.

Devil's Food Torte with Raspberries

2012-01-04T15:37:00.000-08:00

Paul had a birthday recently, and it was a ~~big one~~ milestone, so we had some of our friends over for cake. When I asked Paul what kind of cake he wanted, he started talking about mocha and raspberries and oh my. I found a recipe and adapted it to fit. It turned out gorgeous! Looks great and tastes perfect. Several people have asked for the recipe,so here it is.

Devil's Food Torte with Raspberries

Make cake and chill for 8 hours before serving. It should keep well, refrigerated, for at least 24 hours.

1 Devil's Food Cake Mix (I used Duncan Hines)
Leftover brewed coffee to substitute for water called for in cake mix
Eggs and oil as called for in cake mix
2 layer cake pans

Use shortening to grease the cake pans and dust with flour. Set pans on baking sheets "just in case" to prevent overflows. Preheat oven.
Prepare the cake mix according to package directions, using whole eggs and oil, and substituting coffee for the water called for. Pour into pans and bake as directed for layer cake pans. Test for doneness with a toothpick at earliest time. Remove from oven and cool in pans on wire racks for 15 minutes, then turn out of pans and finish cooling on wire racks with top side UP. Cool for at least one hour.

2 cups heavy whipping cream (I used Kroger brand)
1 8 ounce package cream cheese (not low fat)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract

Use electric mixer and beat cream until very stiff. Set aside.

Put cream cheese into large bowl with sugar and vanilla and beat on high until fluffy. At low speed, gradually fold in whipped cream.

Divide this frosting into 4 relatively equal portions (one can be larger than the others for the top and for "leftover")

Assembling and icing the cake:

1 can raspberry filling (can't remember the brand, but it wasn't a very big can) to glaze the layers with
1 package fresh raspberries

While layer remains on wire rack, use a bread knife (or your electric knife if you don't have a bread knife), and carefully trim the convex part off the top so that it is flat. Don't worry about how it looks, only that most of the top be mostly flat. (Set the trimmings aside to make yourself & your sweetie a little "preview parfait" out of the leftover ingredients)

Then, hold your bread knife flat and cut the layer in half horizontally. Carefully lift the top and set it onto your cake plate.

Open the raspberry filling and use your spatula to spread a VERY THIN layer on the top of the layer. It should be thin, just enough to glaze the top.

Take a few fresh berries (the ugly ones) and crumble them and scatter on top.

Clean spatula, then spread the cream frosting thickly on top of the glaze, letting it kind of stray over the edges a bit.

Set the other layer right on top of all this and do exactly the same thing all over again.

Split the next layer and repeat.

When the top is iced, smooth it a little, and arrange the prettiest raspberries on it.

Refrigerate until ready to serve. By chilling it for several hours, it will hold together well and you won't need skewers to hold it together.

~~~~~~~

We had coffee ice cream with it, and it was perfect! Paul says it is one of the best cakes he has ever eaten. I was so pleased! I have never been much of a baker but it starts to look like I have taken it up as a new hobby by accident. :-)

Rick Perry Shows How A Leader Requires Accountability

2012-01-02T15:17:00.000-08:00

Via "And So it Goes in Shreveport", here's Rick Perry explaining how things are done:

Governor Perry's response is an example of how to require accountability and avoid being manipulated, that any person with leadership aspirations needs to emulate. True leaders don't play games. They don't expend energy on rumors or "anonymous" gossip. Our next president is a true leader, and he will be as good for the United States of America as he has been for Texas.

Incandescent Light Bulbs, and What Went Before

2011-12-30T18:54:00.000-08:00

Why do incandescent light bulbs matter so much? There are many reasons our government should never ever have ventured to ban these miraculous Edisonian inventions, not least of which is that they embody, in the history of their invention, in the way they changed our world, all that is best about the modern, industrial, fossil-fueled, coal-powered, broad-shouldered, optimistic, brightly-lit, global Age of Western Civilization.

Rita, who lived in my house during WWII, in the 1940's, told me it was the first house her family had ever lived in that had electricity. They had always lived on a farm, and the rural electrification project still had a long way to go before completion. She said her mother hurried to get it connected. When her father came home from work the first day, he took a match to light the kerosene lamp that sat in the center of the table in the kitchen. But her mother said "Wait. Look." and reached up, and pulled the chain that turned on the bare bulb that hung from the ceiling. An incandescent bulb, that lit the entire kitchen. Compared to the old kerosene lamp, it looked like the sun.

If you ever wondered what people did at night before electricity, what it was like to eat supper by lamplight, to study by an oil lamp, these photos were taken by the Works Project Administration (WPA) in about 1939, in Oklahoma, in a setting and house very similar to what our little "Cottage at Pecan Corner" was like at the time.

This is what the world was like before the incandescent light bulb. And what it will be like again without oil, coal, incandescent bulbs, and working power plants.

Fear Not! For Unto You is Born in Bethlehem A Savior, Which is Christ the Lord

2011-12-24T04:19:00.000-08:00

Luke 2:10-20 (KJV)

"And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them."

Endorsements For Rick Perry

2011-12-23T17:11:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite bloggers, Pat Austin of "And So it Goes in Shreveport" (or "SIGIS" for short), has endorsed my presidential candidate: Rick Perry. She also has a round up post, "Rick Perry For President: A SIGIS Endorsement" of other blogs that have endorsed the staunchly pro-life, pro-jobs, conservative (both social and fiscal) Texan's candidacy. Go see her whole post to access links to the others.

I've posted before about Perry (even long before he was considering entering this race). A primary reason that I feel so strongly about him at this stage in our national life is that he provides consistent governance - not the foolish hobgoblin type, but the kind of consistency that happens when ones' convictions run so deep they are simply a part of life. The kind of consistency that drives heroes to choose the right instincts to follow. The kind of consistency that understands the difference between "innocent" and "not guilty". The kind of consistency that leads him to promote each state's right to determination even in those issues where he might have personal feelings. The kind of consistency that leads him to accept the will of the people.

Within that consistency is his comprehension that liberty means we should have the right to make our own decisions about things like a jar of Plum Jelly or a loaf of bread. It also means Perry agrees that we ought to have a right to make our own jobs if we want, instead of sitting back and waiting for the unemployment dole.

Among the legislation Rick Perry signed this past session was a small bill that hasn't gotten much attention, but it is the kind of thing that is a good example of how Texas, and Rick Perry, promote individual liberty and individual initiative: The Texas Cottage Food Law.

This bill, sponsored by a Democrat and championed by both parties in both the House and the Senate, allows people to sell baked goods and jellies directly from their home. This means I can have a home bakery business with no need for a commercial kitchen, no inspections or licenses required.

The Cottage Food Law means I can start a bread business just like Mrs Baird did in the 1900s, just like so many of our historic companies got their start. Or I could make wedding cakes, or sell my famous pear preserves or peach marmalade or fresh tortillas.

And the government won't come arrest me for selling my baked goods. (of course we choose not to live where a homeowner's association can have power over us, but those who do have voluntarily surrendered their liberty - that's a post for another day).

This is the kind of common sense lawmaking and proper bi-partisan effort that we have come to expect from Rick Perry to free us all from government overreach, and Americans can expect him to bring this same kind of wisdom to Washington.

.

No Taxes Required: Ramp Building and Fundraising the Old Fashioned, Genuine Grassroots Way

2011-12-22T15:55:00.000-08:00

I wrote most of this post a couple of months ago, and fiddled around and never posted it. But Dr. Mabuse has a post up on Kraalspace that needs to be seen, about helping our neighbors ourselves, instead of relying on the government. It's a chilling reminder of how learned helplessness can become the order of the day, one tiny relinquishment at a time. Of how well-meaning committees inevitably engineer inescapable tyranny in reality. Of the good intentions that pave the road to hell.

In Dr Mabuse's post "Government Goliath, Local Davids", a man who went to hospital, had a leg amputated, and couldn't come home because his house didn't have a ramp, and the government agency tasked with paying for building ramps kept turning him down. So like Charlie on the MTA, he had to live at the hospital while waiting for Uncle Sugar to build his ramp. Until some good citizens got word of his plight, and in one weekend, built a ramp for his house.

A similar, but different thing happened two years ago in my little town.
A family man (with a child still in high school) lost his leg to complications of diabetes. Here's where his story differs from the one Doc shares: as soon as the surgery was scheduled, the Baptist Church sent out a flyer that the men of our town would meet at his house the next Saturday morning to build him a ramp.

And you know who built that ramp? The OLD MEN. Our young men are busy - they serve as our Volunteer firemen, coach little league, sit on the school board, and a host of other things. But our 70 and 80 year olds don't let any grass grow under their feet either. By the end of the day, the ramp was completed, and a good time was had by all. Just because it needed to be done.

It's just sad that the man Dr Mabuse writes about didn't have neighbors or a church to jump in and help him sooner, but ultimately it was people in his local community who took care of meeting his need. And that is how it should be.

From the post I started earlier, here are some more examples of how people take care of each other, and meet local needs, without government involvement or permission.

We went to a lot of fun local events this fall. Some were fairs where we were able to support local crafters, some were organizations doing fundraising, and a couple were pure benefits for local individuals.

The town birthday celebration in October was a hoot. It started with a pancake breakfast to pay for new pew cushions in the Methodist church (they raised enough to "cover" the cost and then some).

The tractor show hinted at a distinct preference for "poppin' johnnies" all in their original John Deere green. I guess Farmall must not have been big around here.

We bought several pounds of stone-ground corn meal from this vendor with his old timey mill. The power source was simple and ingenous: a series of car batteries along the front side of the wagon.

We bought things from vendors who had booths set up: crafts, food, pretties.
We visited with neighbors, stuck money in the Volunteer Fire Department's "boot" (again), introduced our bunch and met new people.

The next weekend, we went to our church's Fall Festival & Car Show. We ate barbeque, bought an amazing wall cross from a local man who makes things out of discarded tools, and picked out our favorite vintage jitneys.

Here, a home-made Carnival benefits a Christian K-12 school (and a winning 6-man football team).

This "Rattlesnake Roundup" game is perfect for Texas.

First the girl would toss the rubber snakes into the bag, then use the special snake-catching tool to grab them & take them out of the sack! It would be a more difficult game (and more realistic) if you had to use the "snake tongs" to throw them in, too.

Speaking of snakes, we saw this non-poisonous one playing dead and looking all dehydrated on Main Street outside the Lions Club BBQ Dinner & Auction. He stayed very still until he thought we weren't looking any more, then he took a deep breath and slithered away.

The dinner was great - it raised money toward the scholarships this group gives to local students each year, toward eye exams & new glasses and for Christmas food boxes for people whose hard work doesn't stretch far enough.
The auction raised a similar amount to directly help a local family that's in need right now.

We wrapped up a week or two later with a fish fry to benefit a hardworking young family in our midst. The father has cancer, and he's unable to work right now. This will help tide them over. They are good people and their neighbors love them - even the ones who don't know them.

Who benefited from all these things? Everyone. Everyone's kids or grandkids are eligible for those scholarships. Our VFD is here and prepared when we need them. Everyone will gather in the church on Christmas Eve. Everyone knows we could count on this community if we needed them: nobody who's done their part when they were able would be forgotten.

All in all, lives will be better for this community's generous heart.

And it was all done in fun and love. With no mandates, and no taxes, and no demands, and no protests. And no fraud, and no graft, and no entitlements.

Because that's how life works in a stable, healthy, Christian, traditional, American community.

Mincemeat Cake: Can You Believe You'll Want Seconds?

2011-12-20T15:47:00.000-08:00

Even the last gasp of mincemeat – mince pies – are going out of fashion. What a shame we have lost touch with this old standby that dates back to the Roman Empire at the time of Christ, once packed in gallon-size wooden firkins by companies that specialized solely in making mincemeat. True mincemeat originally contained beef as well as fruits, nuts and spices (Borden's Nonesuch Brand still does). It was a high protein preserved food.

The tradition of mince pies at Christmas goes way back, and they were once made in the shape of a manger. Given that the recipe continued to be used from Biblical times until now, it's a good food to put on your list for "foods of the Bible" - even if it wasn't mentioned in the bible, the Apostle Paul certainly could have eaten mincemeat while he was in Rome. And incredibly, mincemeat even played a part in America's battle for freedom of religion, being banned (along with Christmas) by Oliver Cromwell in England and some Puritans in the Colonies as "too Catholic". Just like the traditional American foods of Thanksgiving really mean something important to America's way of life and freedom to worship, so, too, does eating mincemeat at Christmas time.

I miss mince meat pies at Christmas time. My dad's father, "Pawpaw", used to make them. He had been a cook for the Santa Fe Railroad track crews, and his pies were top notch. The trouble is, every mincemeat pie I've tasted in my adulthood was like fruitcake: one piece is all I can enjoy. The flavor is overpowering.

But now I've found a solution. This Mincemeat Mayonnaise Cake is perfect. It uses one cup of mincemeat, so the flavor blends gently throughout the cake. With a thin cream cheese, frosting, it delights the tastebuds - and our taste for nostalgia!

It's an easy cake to make, but it takes a long time: it must bake for two hours! So start it when you have the evening at home. It is moist and dense, so it also keeps very well. You can make it days in advance and refrigerate it, icing on the day you plan to serve it.

Mincemeat Mayonnaise Cake

3 cups flour

1½ cups sugar

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1½ cup buttermilk

1 cup mayonnaise

2 T orange marmalade or 1 T grated orange rind

1 T rum flavoring

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup mincemeat, reconstituted according to package directions (or half a jar if you are using Borden's Nonesuch brand in the jar)

1 cup walnuts or pecans (optional)

Mix flour, sugar, baking soda and salt together. Blend buttermilk and mayonnaise and gradually add flour mixture, stirring well. Mix in marmalade, vanilla and rum flavoring, then add mincemeat and walnuts.

Grease a 9” tube pan and line with greased parchment or waxed paper. If using a 2-part pan, set it on a sheet pan to catch oil that ~~may~~ will seep out through the bottom seam as the mixture heats up and drip onto the oven. Bake at 325 degrees for 2 hours. Turn out onto a plate and allow to cool.

A rather thin cream cheese frosting is good on this, or you could spread slices with cream cheese for a lovely breakfast treat.

Here's my recipe for the frosting:

½ bag of powdered sugar

3 ounces (1/2 a carton) of cream cheese

½ cup whipping cream or milk

½ tsp vanilla

Pinch of salt

The one pictured is the one I made last night for our Christmas. I'll carry it up to Irving and ice it when we get there. It will be fun to tell the grandkids they are eating cake with beef in it! LOL!

Wishing a Merry and Blessed Christmas to you and yours. Thank you for reading my blog, and for spending your precious time here at Pecan Corner. May 2012 be a very good year for us all! :-)

British PM David Cameron : "We are a Christian country. If We Don't Stand For Something, We Can't Stand Against Anything.

2011-12-17T15:47:00.000-08:00

Courtesy of Richard Fernandez' Belmont Club article "David Casts His Stone", here are portions of the transcript of David Cameron's speech on the King James Bible, in which he takes to task all the Sunday Christians in the United Kingdom, including the ~~Archmage~~ Archbishop of Canterbury, for their denial of Christ through denying His Church, which is the body of believers throughout the world and all of history.

Read, and rejoice:

"But I am proud to stand here and celebrate the achievements of the King James Bible.
Not as some great Christian on a mission to convert the world.
But because, as Prime Minister, it is right to recognise the impact of a translation that is, I believe, one of this country's greatest achievements.
The Bible is a book that has not just shaped our country, but shaped the world.
And with 3 Bibles sold or given away every second...
...a book that is not just important in understanding our past, but which will continue to have a profound impact in shaping our collective future.
...
[I ]am a committed - but I have to say vaguely practising - Church of England Christian, who will stand up for the values and principles of my faith...
...but who is full of doubts and, like many, constantly grappling with the difficult questions when it comes to some of the big theological issues.
But what I do believe is this.
The King James Bible is as relevant today as at any point in its 400 year history.
And none of us should be frightened of recognising this."

Praise God. But wait, Mr. Cameron is not finished yet:

"...just as our language and culture is steeped in the Bible, so too is our politics.
From human rights and equality to our constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy...
...from the role of the church in the first forms of welfare provision, to the many modern day faith-led social action projects...
...the Bible has been a spur to action for people of faith throughout history, and it remains so today.
Third, we are a Christian country.
And we should not be afraid to say so.
...[ I ]am also incredibly proud that Britain is home to many different faith communities, who do so much to make our country stronger.But what I am saying is that the Bible has helped to give Britain a set of values and morals which make Britain what it is today.
Values and morals we should actively stand up and defend.
The alternative of moral neutrality should not be an option.
You can't fight something with nothing.
Because if we don't stand for something, we can't stand against anything."

This is the kind of truth we must demand from our leaders in the USA, as well. At Christmas time, he points to Christianity as the fundamental cause of the birth of human liberty, equality and freedom in the world:

"The Bible runs through our political history in a way that is often not properly recognised....
Jesus said: "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."
And yet at the same time, the Judeo-Christian roots of the Bible also provide the foundations for protest and for the evolution of our freedom and democracy.
The Torah placed the first limits on Royal Power.
And the knowledge that God created man in his own image was, if you like, a game changer for the cause of human dignity and equality.
In the ancient world this equity was inconceivable.
...[A]nd when every human being is of equal and infinite importance, created in the very image of God...
...we get the irrepressible foundation for equality and human rights...
...a foundation that has seen the Bible at the forefront of the emergence of democracy, the abolition of slavery...
...and the emancipation of [women]....
[T]he Putney debates in the Church of St Mary the Virgin in 1647 saw the first call for One Man, One vote...
...and the demand that authority be invested in the House of Commons rather than the King.
[T]he Bible provides a defining influence on the formation of the first welfare state.In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus says that whatever people have done "unto one of the least of these my brethren"...
... they have done unto him.
Just as in the past it was the influence of the church that enabled hospitals to be built, charities created, the hungry fed, the sick nursed and the poor given shelter...
...so today faith based groups are at the heart of modern social action."

And finally:

"The Bible has helped to shape the values which define our country.
Indeed, as Margaret Thatcher once said, "we are a nation whose ideals are founded on the Bible."
Responsibility, hard work, charity, compassion, humility, self-sacrifice, love...
...pride in working for the common good and honouring the social obligations we have to one another, to our families and our communities...
...these are the values we treasure.
Yes, they are Christian values.
And we should not be afraid to acknowledge that.

First, those who say being a Christian country is doing down other faiths...
...simply don't understand that it is easier for people to believe and practise other faiths when Britain has confidence in its Christian identity.
Many people tell me it is much easier to be Jewish or Muslim here in Britain than it is in a secular country like France.
[B]ecause the tolerance that Christianity demands of our society provides greater space for other religious faiths too.
...[S]hying away from speaking the truth about behaviour, about morality...
...has actually helped to cause some of the social problems that lie at the heart of the lawlessness we saw with the riots.
The absence of any real accountability, or moral code...
...allowed some bankers and politicians to behave with scant regard for the rest of society.
And when it comes to fighting violent extremism, the almost fearful passive tolerance of religious extremism that has allowed segregated communities to behave in ways that run completely counter to our values...
... has not contained that extremism but allowed it to grow and prosper...

"Put simply, for too long we have been unwilling to distinguish right from wrong.
"Live and let live" has too often become "do what you please".
Bad choices have too often been defended as just different lifestyles.
To be confident in saying something is wrong...
...is not a sign of weakness, it's a strength.
But we can't fight something with nothing.
As I've said if we don't stand for something, we can't stand against anything."

Be sure and read the entire speech at PoliticsHome.com. It is wonderful.

Mr Cameron and Rick Perry will certainly find plenty to talk about during their respective State visits, after Governor Perry moves into the White House.

And I bet the two of them will find it easy to restore the special friendship between our two countries who share our history, our culture, and our religion.

On Prayer: Two New Helps

2011-12-12T04:44:00.000-08:00

I subscribe to daily emailed devotionals from David Wilkerson Today, and also link to the ministry from my sidebar. Pastor Wilkerson died following a car accident earlier this year, but his messages continue to inspire through ongoing ministry in his footsteps. The one for today tells us about the "spirit of prayer". Here's a portion:

"God is showing me that even the desire and inclination to pray must come from the Holy Spirit. Now my dilemma is this: God has promised to pour out a Spirit of supplication on His church, and I want to be a part of the genuine move of God. So, how can I make sure I receive this outpouring?

The answer is in Zechariah 10:1: “Ask the Lord for rain in the time of the latter rain. The Lord will make flashing clouds; He will give them showers of rain, grass in the field for everyone” (Zechariah 10:1).

We must ask the Lord for this Spirit of supplication! The flashing clouds in this verse speak of "lightning, thunderstorms." God has promised to give us showers! He is telling us in Zechariah, "Ask and I will give you this burden from heaven. But you must seek it from Me!" It is time we started asking the Lord, "O God, pour your Holy Spirit on me that I may learn to pray! Open up the fountain. Let me be a part of Your final harvest!"

Once His Spirit of supplication showers down upon you, you will find yourself praying for holiness, godliness, purity. You will intercede for your lost loved ones and weep over this dying world. But you have to ask the Holy Spirit to do it in you—and then trust Him!"

Also, Pastor Duane Sheriff of Duane Sheriff Ministries is preaching an excellent new series on prayer, with instruction that may be helpful to learn more about kinds of prayer and methods. To find it, go to the home page (also linked from my sidebar) and scroll down to links to Audio, MP4 Video, and Text Notes versions. Here are the audio links:

Lord Teach Us To Pray II - 1, "Different Kinds of Prayer"
Lord Teach Us To Pray II - 2, "Prayer of Faith"
Lord Teach Us to Pray II - 3, "Prayer of Dedication"

It will eventually be a 6-part series.

For those who struggle with talking to our Father, this kind of practical material can help us find our own voice for crying Holy to our Lord.

When They Call Fox America's News HQ....

2011-12-11T11:13:00.000-08:00

They aren't kidding:

The big flat-screen television in this busy Mexican restaurant in Central Texas is prominently visible from every table, has closed captioning turned on in English, and is always turned on to Fox News (well, except when there's a Cowboys game on!). It's the same in hundreds of other places all across this great state. Come have a bowl of menudo - or a burger with "Freedom Fries" - some Saturday, or any other day, and you'll find the place full of pro-life, Christian, conservatives of all kinds of backgrounds, many of whom think our governor is going to be the kind of president we need to haul our country back from the abyss that ancient Rome fell into.

And that Mexican flag on the wall, on the other side of the American flag? Doesn't mean what liberals have co-opted it to mean. It means people are proud of who they are and love their country: the United States of America. Where-ever our parents or grandparents came from, all Americans are alike in this respect: the US flag comes FIRST. Is it only Texans who understand this? It has never been a question here.

Medal of Honor Heroes Speak Up About Their Candidate: Rick Perry

2011-12-11T05:33:00.000-08:00

There's a full 7 minute version, including these heroes' stories, at Rick Perry for President.

Update: Walter Reed Military Hospital's Religion Policy

2011-12-07T02:01:00.000-08:00

Whoever is leading Walter Reed's PR team in handling communication for this issue deserves praise. Placing regular up-front full-text updates about it on the WRNMMC home page is a wise and unusual move. Here's the latest such announcement:

We are in the process of rewriting our policy and would like to offer the following statement:

Bibles and other religious materials have always been and will remain available for patient use at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. The visitation policy as written was incorrect and should have been more thoroughly reviewed before its release. It has been rescinded. We apologize for any confusion the policy may have caused.

Please know that at admission, all patients are asked for their religious preference and a chaplain associated with their preference visits them regularly to provide spiritual services. In addition, their families may also bring religious material and we will not refuse any religious group entrance.

WRNMMC provides multiple venues at WRMNMC for religious expression and worship. There is daily Catholic Mass as well as Protestant, Hindu, and Muslim services. Eucharist is also available at the bedside. There are weekly Torah studies, multiple weekly Christian bible studies, as well as weekly Qur'an study. Furthermore, chaplains coordinate spiritual needs for those whose faith groups are not represented by staff chaplains (such as Latter-Day Saints, Buddhist, and Christian Scientist).

Walter Reed National Military Medical Center remains committed to supporting the religious preferences of all our patients and we will continue to ensure their spiritual needs are met.

So far, so good. Much better than how this disaster started out.

BTW, trivia I meant to include in yesterday's post: it is no accident that the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center is located in a town named Bethesda, Maryland. Bethesda is a Biblical word translating as "House of Mercy", and was the name of a healing pool located in Jerusalem where Jesus performed one of His miracles, healing a man who had been crippled for 38 years. The pool, and the event, was described in the book of John 5:2-16.

UPDATE to US Military Bans Bibles and Christianity. Again.

2011-12-06T04:32:00.000-08:00

Following the public revelation on the floor of the House of Representatives that Chief of Staff Callahan of Bethesda, Maryland's National Military Medical Center had issued a memo that banned Bibles along with homemade cookies: "No religious items (i.e. Bibles, reading material, and/or artifacts) are allowed to be given away or used during a visit.", the PR folks went to work quickly to announce they would make the policy "crystal clear". Uh huh.

Today, the following partial statement is appearing on the home page of the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center website:

    Thank you for your interest in the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
    We apologize for any confusion that resulted from our policy. In no way was the instruction meant to prohibit family members from providing religious items to their love ones. The intent of the instruction was to respect the religious and cultural practices of all of our patients. We are drafting a new instruction that will clearly articulate our respect for religious and cultural practices of all of our patients and families.

    Again, we regret any confusion that this might have caused and we thank you for your support of our Warriors and their families.

    On behalf of the Command...

The statement is unlinked, and unattributed, and I am unable to find a copy of the full statement on the website.It just trails off with "On behalf of the Command...". So no one has yet to take any personal responsibility for either the policy or the apology.

I find this statement is disingenuous, considering the explicit detail, definitrion, and citation of rationale for every other item in the policy memo, including stating why homemade apple pies can't be brought in. What I suspect happened is that after the memo had been written and vetted through most of the normal process, someone angry over some single event somewhere stuck this in as an afterthought and didn't want to mess with sending it back through the chain of approvals so proceeded as though it had been part of the document all along.

Just for the sake of the record, here's an abbreviated version of the memo. Go here for the full PDF.

Subj: WOUNDED, ILL, AND INJURED PARTNERS IN CARE GUIDELINES
Ref: (a) NAVMED Policy Memo 10-015

1. Purpose. To provide guidelines with respect to the presence and participation of families and other partners in care. This document replaces the hospital's previous visitation policies for...[active duty patients].

4. Policy. ...[F]amilies are considered partners within the health care team ...

6. ...[V]isits include the following partners in care:
a. Family
b. Leadership of Title 36 congressionally chartered Organizations
c. Members of the: [government]
...
e. Celebrities and sports personnel vetted through the Staff Judge Advocate
f. Members of the press vetted through the Public Affairs office
g. Other partners in care who represent....the [VFW], American Legion, Fleet Reserve Association, Marine Corps League, Army League, and other similar organizations...
h. Leadership of the Military Coalition and National Military Veterans Alliance.
i. Out of town visitors...
j. Partners in care representing verifiable 501(c)(3) benevolent organizations wishing to interact...or provide goods or services... [These] will not be allowed unfettered access to the inpatient environment for the purposes of information gathering, solicitation, or donation delivery. (1) All donations...[require] approved processes, vetting methods, accountability...

7. Exceptions. [Patients may refuse visitors at any time.

8. Partners in Care Guidelines
a. All non-family visits must be scheduled five days in advance.
b. Group size will not exceed five.
c. All partners in care, under the age of 8, must be accompanied by an adult.
d. Photographs may not be taken...without express permission and signed Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act documentation... signed by the patient or PNOK [Primary Next Of Kin] if patient is incapacitated....
e. Due to dietary restrictions and infectious disease protocols, the distribution of home produced baked goods to the patients, families, or staff members is prohibited.
f. No religious items (i.e. Bibles, reading material, and/or artifacts) are allowed to be given away or used during a visit.

9. Release of Patient Information. All patient information will be released in accordance with reference (a).

C.W. Callahan
Chief of Staff

Distribution: WRNMMC Intranet

The original policy actually does make "crystal clear" that families are numbered among "partners in care", that patients can refuse visits at any time, that all non-famliy visitors have to be approved in advance - and their gifts have to be approved in advance too. So why the need to call out the Bible specifically, without mentioning the Book of Mormon, or the koran, or the Bhagavad-Gita? Why call out the Bible and related items without specifying WHY or offering alternatives, as every other matter itemized in the policy does? As I said above, I think this was a last minute addition to the policy by someone with an agenda.

Persecution in America: US Bureaucrats Ban Christianity. Again. And Get Away With It. Again.

2011-12-04T08:03:00.000-08:00

Christianity is not a "faith tradition", it is a religion: the largest, most widespread religion in the world, and globally, it is growing. It is growing through conversion by freedom of choice because Christ offers hope and freedom to everyone: true liberty that fuels joy, peace, democracy, science, abundance, compassion.

Christianity is the only religion of truth and life. There is no other. To believe Jesus is the Son of God, who was born, was crucified, died, who rose to real, physical life again: to believe this requires following His final directive, the only commandment He gave after His resurrection: to "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature."

Preaching the Gospel is the central action of our faith, no matter what our denomination,and was commanded by Jesus. The word "proselytizing" is an inappropriate negative, and is not descriptive of or a synonym for,
evangelism.

Jesus does not attempt to force anyone to believe in Him and neither do Christians. But to follow Jesus means that we speak the Truth, that we ask our Father God to bless those who do not believe, that we tell them the Good News, so they have the opportunity to make their choice.

Recently, the Navy, following the US Army's lead in banning Bibles and forbidding Christian practice and faith by our soldiers, and following up the VA's ban on praying to God and Jesus at the Houston National Cemetery of this summer, decided to push the envelope further and ban Bibles and anything related to Christianity from being read to, used or given to wounded veterans in Walter Reed hospital. Here's a PDF of the original memo from C.W. Callahan, Chief of Staff. The ban is hidden at the very end, right after a ban on homemade cookies: "No religious items (i.e. Bibles, reading material, and/or artifacts) are allowed to be given away or used during a visit."

It is persecution to compel a Christian to forego mentioning our faith in ANY task we do, whether we are at work or play, on the street or in a public building, an employee or a volunteer or a client.

Unelected bureaucrats are violating the LAW and the Constitution of the United States of America if they try to forbid, limit, or control Christian expressions or statements of faith, worship, or study are forbidden. The courts have consistently upheld our right to not only believe but to teach our beliefs.

And those of us who do what we are told, and obey such directives, are denying our Lord Jesus Christ, as surely as Peter did, out of fear.

I am guilty. I have had opportunities - in the recent as well as distant past - to stand up quietly for Christianity's place in the workplace, and I didn't. I've had chances to witness that I didn't take because I was afraid of being embarrassed or of being chastised.

I am a "by the book" kind of person, and I follow rules. Like other civilized people all over the world, I tend to do what I am told by people in authority. Fundamental Christian tenets ask us to love others in truth, to be gentle and compassionate in how we talk about our faith, how we share the Gospel. But I have used that respect for others and my need to be liked and to "be nice" as an excuse for conforming to the world instead of conforming to God.

There was a time when we could get by on just being nice, because we could trust our elected representatives, our bosses and the people who work in government to uphold our rights as Christians to believe and express our faith. But no more. More and more, we see that many of those in positions of authority are abusing their positions and giving orders that mistreat Christians, acting at the behest of the intolerant shrill to give priority to novelty cults and abusive cultures, and are trying to force Christians into the closet.

I keep a Bible at work. I always have. It isn't there for preaching, but for me to read - especially for comfort when I am anxious. There's always something in the workplace to be anxious about, no matter what our job, and reading, remembering, the Word of the Lord can help so much.

I don't know how I might react if I were ordered to remove the Bible from my desk at work. I am afraid I might meekly comply: taking my Bible home and living with greater anxiety, justifying my inaction by the perceived need to keep my job and pay my bills, and forgetting that God has promised to take care of me and all my needs, and that He always has.

I pray and hope that faith could overcome fear.

Please Father God, give me strength to put You first: to obey all laws but those that deny You. Please give me courage to be faithful in these little things. Grant that my daily life can help proclaim the Gospel of Your Son Jesus, the Christ, that others may meet Him and that Your Will be done on earth just as it is in Heaven.

UPDATE Tuesday, Dec 6th: Please see the updated post for latest information on this matter.

Code of Ethics for Government Service

2011-12-01T15:17:00.000-08:00

Code of Ethics for Government Service

House Document 103, 86th Congress, 1st Session - Passed by the Congress of the United States on July 11, 1958.

ANY PERSON IN GOVERNMENT SERVICE SHOULD:

I. Put loyalty to the highest moral principles above loyalty to persons, party, or Government department.

II. Uphold the Constitution, laws, and legal regulations of the United States and of all governments therein and never be a party to their evasion.

III. Give a full day's labor for a full day's pay; giving to the performance of his duties his earnest effort and best thought.

IV. Seek to find and employ more efficient and economical ways of getting tasks accomplished.

V. Never discriminate unfairly by the dispensing of special favors or privileges to anyone, whether for remuneration or not; and never accept, for himself or his family, favors or benefits under circumstances which might be construed by reasonable persons as influencing the performance of his governmental duties.

VI. Make no private promises of any kind binding upon the duties of office, since the Government employee has no private word which can be binding on public duty.

VII. Engage in no business with the Government, either directly or indirectly, which is inconsistent with the conscientious performance of his governmental duties.

VIII. Never use any information coming to him confidentially in the performance of governmental duties as a means for making private profit.

IX. Expose corruption wherever discovered.

X. Uphold these principles, ever conscious that public office is a public trust.

~~~~

Public Law 96-303
[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 34, Volume 1]
[Revised as of January 1, 2008]

34CFR73App

TITLE 34--EDUCATION

PART 73_STANDARDS OF CONDUCT--Table of Contents

Appendix to Part 73--Code of Ethics for Government Service

Any person in Government service should:

~ Put loyalty to the highest moral principles and to country above loyalty to persons, party, or Government department.

~ Uphold the Constitution, laws, and regulations of the United States and of all governments therein and never be a party to their evasion.

~ Give a full day's labor for a full day's pay; giving earnest effort and best thought to the performance of duties.

~ Seek to find and employ more efficient and economical ways of getting tasks accomplished.

~ Never discriminate unfairly by the dispensing of special favors or privileges to anyone, whether for remuneration or not; and never accept, for himself or herself or for family members, favors or benefits under circumstances which might be construed by reasonable persons as influencing the performance of governmental duties.

~ Make no private promises of any kind binding upon the duties of office, since a Government employee has no private word which can be binding on public duty.

~ Engage in no business with the Government, either directly or indirectly, which is inconsistent with the conscientious performance of governmental duties.

~ Never use any information gained confidentially in the performance of governmental duties as a means of making private profit.

~ Expose corruption wherever discovered.

~ Uphold these principles, ever conscious that public office is a public trust.

(This Code of Ethics was unanimously passed by the United States
Congress on June 27, 1980, and signed into law as Public Law 96-303 by
the President on July 3, 1980.)

~~~~

There followed years of squabbling over the requirement to actually display this code of ethics in public buildings. Those who didn't want to meet these expectations finally won out when the display requirement was summarily repealed in 1996.

But as far as I can tell, the code itself remains a part of the Law of the Land. Perhaps it is time that both houses of Congress pass it unanimously again, and renew the display requirement.

Dear Mr. Cain

2011-11-29T18:50:00.000-08:00

Dear Mr. Cain,

In the Methodist Church basement last night, a bipartisan group of older Texas ladies decided that we do not care who any candidate for President sleeps with. Or actual President for that matter. We are not interested. What we are interested in is the actual issues that affect the whole country. We expect the President to do his job without regard to his outside activities. And one of those jobs is cutting Federal spending.

Now, we probably aren't all fans of yours. We were too polite (and separated by political chasms) to discuss, there in the basement, which candidates we might support. BUT whether Republican, Democrat or Independent, we do agree on those two points.

We would suggest that you, and other candidates, refrain from allowing the ridiculous "news media" to determine who We the People get to vote for. The only polls that will tell you whether the voters want you or anyone else to represent us, are the voting booths on election day.

I do not normally blog about things we discuss in church gatherings, so we won't mention any names or places, but I would be surprised if this opinion isn't also shared by many other "bipartisan groups" around the country.

Sincerely,

"Concerned Voter"

We Occupied Our Own Home For Thanksgiving Dinner

2011-11-24T18:16:00.000-08:00

What a nice day. It was a day to be thankful for. God has blessed us so abundantly. I hope we always remember to appreciate the blessings each moment carries for us.

It was just the two of us, but we cooked the full meal. I gathered some shrubbery and weeds for "flowers" for the table. We talked on the phone to all the various family strewn far and wide. Paul watched the Dolphins pull defeat out of the hat again. I took a nap! We cleaned up the kitchen together and the dishwasher is running. We just wrapped up with pumpkin pie and whipped cream.

I have a set of Lenox china. It's a plain pattern with no decoration but a simple platinum rim. So I pick up odd pieces here and there for variety. Since Lenox uses its distinctive "American Beleek" china as the base for all wares, it's easy - and beautiful - to mix & match.

I found (aka bought) this neat set of Bicentennial plates marked "Courtesy of the Delaware Fund", and used them today. There are four of them: one pictures Independence Hall, another Delaware's Old State House, another the Frigate United States "The Old Wagon".

And then there's this one. This plate pictures the New York Stock Exchange, on Wall Street. Heh.

The irony was delicious, but not as delicious as Paul's turkey!

We are thankful today. Thankful to occupy our own home. Thankful to live in America. Thankful to have family and friends. Thankful that Jesus Christ came and died, and rose again, to give us the only real hope there is: the hope of eternal life with our Father God.

I hope that the sincere remnant who are taking part in the "Occupy" marketing campaign will someday know the kind of appreciation and gratefulness that comes of earning one's way past the debts & unemployment & low wages that young people in all eras struggle with.

It's a beautiful world, and life is worth the effort and work that a good life requires.

May God bless you and yours with grateful hearts this season.

Here's the Bible passage Paul used for today:

"Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power
and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
... Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom;
you are exalted as head over all.

Wealth and honor come from you;
you are the ruler of all things.
In your hands are strength and power
to exalt and give strength to all.

Now, our God, we give you thanks,
and praise your glorious name."
I Chronicles 29:11-13 (NIV)

A Message From the 99th Percentile to "the 99 per cent": Occupy Bagram

2011-11-22T17:48:00.000-08:00

Heh. Found this on Facebook. Reportedly was taken on Bagram AFB, Afghanistan:

Thankful for men like these, this week and every week, in the land of the free!

* The "99th percentile" refers to the top 1 percent - one person out of a hundred - and is commonly used by high IQ societies to describe their membership. About 1% of Americans are currently serving in the military. On the other hand, "We are the 99 per cent" is the catchy-but-inaccurate slogan of a leftist political coalition's marketing campaign that uses 1960s "sit-in" tactics and stipendary protesters to "Occupy" various high profile locations.

Not Only the Icelanders: Translating Praise Music from 1500 Years Ago, and the Future of Printed Books

2011-11-20T12:34:00.000-08:00

It's often told that in the most literate society in the world, Iceland, readers can still understand books written in Icelandic 800 years ago. It is impressive and admirable that their ancient texts, the Sagas and Eddas, remain accessible to allow the average person opportunity to read and decipher for themselves.

But perhaps literate speakers of English have the same ability, mostly yet untried.

Accidentally, today, in surfing around the web, I came across a reference to the oldest identified Anglo-Saxon poet, Caedmon. Caedmon worked in a Monastery, tending to the animals. He could not read, and sang so badly that when everyone got together for the 8th century's version of karioke, he left the room. One night, he had a dream, in which an angel asked him to sing - and he sang a new song. Upon waking, he remembered the verses and spent the rest of his life turning scripture into Praise music.

I went looking for more info, including a different translation and came upon one that also gave the original text.

Well. You know how it is. Once a stream of thought gets going, there we go.

I noticed that the opening word "Nu" sounds like "Now", then that "hefaen___" sounds exactly like "Heaven" and one thing led to another. What I found is that by trying different pronunciations of the original words, I was able to decypher much of the Old English version.

Here's a poetic Modern English translation:

          Now let me praise the keeper of Heaven's kingdom,
          the might of the Creator, and his thought,
          the work of the Father of glory, how each of wonders
          the Eternal Lord established in the beginning.
          He first created for the sons of men
          Heaven as a roof, the holy Creator,
          then Middle-earth the keeper of mankind,
          the Eternal Lord, afterwards made,
          the earth for men, the Almighty Lord.

Here's an original language version from the year 737 Anno Domini:

              1 Nu scylun hergan hefaenricaes uard
              2 metudæs maecti end his modgidanc
              3 uerc uuldurfadur sue he uundra gihuaes
              4 eci dryctin or astelidæ
              5 he aerist scop aelda barnum
              6 heben til hrofe haleg scepen.
              7 tha middungeard moncynnæs uard
              8 eci dryctin æfter tiadæ
              9 firum foldu frea allmectig

Here's my rough, literal version:

1 Now shall hear Heaven-rich's [Heaven owner's] ward
2 Mete-er's (measurer's) might and his making-think
3 Work of the elderfather so his wonder goes
4 ever directing the onset
5 He first shaped the elder sons
6 Heaven to roofbeam holy shaper
7 then middle-earth mankind's ward
8 ever directing after today (until today)
9 the firm fields Free-Lord Almighty

Here's another good modern translation that I found.

My pronunciation may not be anything like the original, but because the language remains the same, despite spelling and dialectical changes over time, the words still mean pretty much what they did 1,500 years ago. There "original language version" is also transcribed into our modern alphabet - if one were to try to read the text as written, we'd need to also discuss the character "thorn" and a few other such, just as we have to know that the long S of colonial times is not an "F" but rather a modified character used according to certain grammar rules of the day. This follows a discovery some time ago, that I could sort-of read Greek by simply transliterating the letters in biblical texts and looking for roots to English words.

I'm not going to be winning any awards or going into business translating ancient texts, but the thing is: this is one of the wonders of the internet. To uncover new possibilities in ourselves by being exposed to history we never even knew existed, to science we never even questioned, to the stories of ordinary people who helped set the course for the future.

Like the monks copying the Bible and their countries' literature to get books into every monastery in the world, like Gutenberg's printing press churning out copies of the Bible and world literature for every book buyer in Europe, the net puts everything written before into the hands of ordinary people.

And we don't have to depend on "authorized experts" to translate for us or explain it to us.

I'm reading a book that came out a few years ago, on the history of printing, called "Paradigms Lost: The Life and Death of the Printed Word" (Tip: go through your favorite blogger's Amazon search link to buy it). It's a fascinating delve into many of the ways the printing press, and even typography, changed our societies and our world. It is in some ways an unfinished book, for, as the author himself, a retired editor who bills himself "an independent historian" and cites reams of sources, says "..[we] are just in the first years of an era that exists so far mostly in magazine articles, techology manufacturers' boastful extrapolations, books like this one, and confused observations..." The book was copyrighted 2005, at the beginning of the "print apocalypse" as the failure of traditional publishing to meet customer needs was beginning to become clear.

Despite the introduction of the Kindle in 2007 (not so much new technology as a more wide-spread distribution method), the number of books printed in the US in 2010 grew 5% with traditional publishers. But the really exciting part is that the "non-traditional" sector, including "print on demand" and self-published books almost tripled from 1,033,065 titles in 2009 to 2,776,260 in 2010.

This does not represent new demand - the demand was always there - this represents new access, thanks to the internet, which has given any author a nearly cost-free access to markets outside their local area.

The internet lets us all share what we know, and learn more on whatever topic we wish. We can direct our own course of study, without cost. We can become self-educated people.We can think for ourselves. And we can tell others.

And like those who first benefited from the printing press, we want our own copies. Just in case the link goes dark. Or the net goes down. But mainly because free people everywhere like to have their own.

Meteor Shower Tonight & the Wee Hours of Morning! November 17 & 18 2011

2011-11-17T17:01:00.000-08:00

If you look toward the eastern horizon this evening, from about 9:30 Central Time "straight on 'til morning", you may be able to see falling stars in the Leonid Meteor Shower. This annual event is the beautiful debris of a disintegrated comet. It's called the "Leonid" because it appears (as we see it) in and around the constellation Leo the Lion (but these shooting stars aren't anywhere near those of the constellation).

Astronomers tell us the firedrakes can be seen in all parts of the sky, so you should be able to see it from anywhere in the United States - provided the half moon doesn't glow so brightly as to hide them from view. In fact, the best chance to see them may be by facing away from the moon - and from Leo - and look to the dark part of the sky.

But if you don't get to see it, mark your calendar and save the date for next year: they are predicting a "knock your socks off" display for 2012!

Thanks to Star Date Magazine, published by University of Texas, the McDonald Observatory, for the image used here - and for consistently marvelous information about our beautiful skies.

Praise the LORD from the heavens;
   praise him in the heights above.
Praise him, all his angels;
   praise him, all his heavenly hosts.
Praise him, sun and moon;
   praise him, all you shining stars.

Psalm 148 (New International Version)

First Turkey Days! Thanksgiving Feasts in America 1540 - 1640 (or "The Real History of Thanksgiving")

2011-11-05T18:00:00.000-07:00

A couple of years ago, I called Thanksgiving "The Immigrants Holiday" because nearly every shipload of Europeans who came to our shores continued their long-standing tradition of taking a time to rejoice and praise God for a safe journey. They all did, whether Catholic or Church of England explorers trying to colonize the New World for their King, or Separatist Protestant refugees seeking freedom to worship Christ according to their own consciences. These weren't "harvest festivals", nor were they unusual or "uniquely American". They were simply the custom of Christian peoples everywhere.

The picture-book Thanksgiving was a part of this culture, just like going to church on Sundays and saying grace before meals. In October 1621, the Mayflower Pilgrims and Pawtuxet Indians celebrated such an event, much like all these others. It captured popular imagination 250 years later in the 1850s when Sarah Hale, editor of Godey’s Ladys Book & primary lobbyist for a national Thanksgiving Day, used it as a symbol of those early times. Oddly enough, there’s less documentation for this event than most of the other Thanksgivings on this list! Sarah Hale simply picked it out as a great “narrative” to sell her idea, just as marketers do today.

But by the time the Pilgrims arrived, nearly a century of regular Thanksgivings in North, South & Central America had gone before. Shiploads of passengers led by explorers from Spain, France, England, The Netherlands, Italy, and Portugal, planned their thanksgiving feasts as a matter of course and held them as soon as possible after they finally reached safety again.

Here's a list of a few of them. Texas gets to claim two of the very earliest!

May 23, 1541, near Canyon, Texas. A Thanksgiving feast was celebrated by explorer Francisco Vásquez de Coronado and the "Tejas" Native Americans. The reason? Of all his finds, the discovery of good sources of wild foods, grapes and pecans, was cause for a day of rejoicing.

June 30, 1564 “Fort Caroline”, near Jacksonville, Florida: one of the earliest groups of French Huguenots to seek religious liberty in America, led by Jean Ribault, held a day of Thanksgiving. This settlement was destroyed soon thereafter by Spanish soldiers (led by Pedro Menendez de Aviles) in the ongoing battle between Spain and France for supremacy in the New World as well as the old.

September 8, 1565 St Augustine, Florida: the 400 settlers from Spain travelling with Pedro Menendez de Aviles celebrated a feast of Thanksgiving when their ship landed safely. The Timucua Indians joined them, bringing local foods to the table.

August or September 1578 Frobisher Bay area of Baffin Island, Nunavut Territory, Canada: Martin Frobisher's expedition celebrated the first Thanksgiving recorded in Canada. Today, Canada celebrates Thanksgiving much like the USA does, except it is held in October.

April 30, 1598 San Elizario, Texas (near El Paso): the 500 members of the de Onate expedition held a feast of Thanksgiving, with the native Manso Indian tribe as guests, to celebrate their safe arrival 10 days earlier at the Rio Grande after months of trekking up from Mexico. This was the first group to travel the newly blazed El Camino Real.

1604 Port Royal, Acadia, Canada: French settlers with explorer Samuel de Champlain held their first Thanksgiving feast in 1604 and thereafter. This is the group that founded 'The Order of Good Cheer', sharing their food with their Native American neighbors.

August 9, 1607 Fort St. George, Kennebec River, Maine: the newly arrived colonists of this short-lived New England settlement held its first Thanksgiving soon after making landfall, led by English Captain George Popham and joined by the Abnaki Indians.

1610 Jamestown, Virginia: Settlers of the famous English colony held a Thanksgiving to celebrate the arrival of ships bringing them new supplies of food after a harsh winter during which many starved to death.

December 4, 1619 The Berkeley Hundred, near Jamestown, Virigina: this group of settlers had planned before leaving England to hold a feast of Thanksgiving immediately on arrival, and annually thereafter. Many were killed in the massacre of 1622 and the site abandoned.

October, 1621, Plymouth, Massachusetts: this was the feast that came to symbolize the history of our Christian heritage, held by the Mayflower Pilgrims and Native Americans in the vicinity. It was probably not their first such celebration, but is the only one for which any documentation survives.

1623, Plymouth, Massachusetts: The governor of the Plymouth colony called for a special day of Thanksgiving for the end of a drought that plagued the colony.

July 8, 1630, Massachusetts: Puritan settlers observed the first Thanksgiving of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in New England. This colony began having Thanksgiving days every year from 1660 onward.

September 18, 1639 Connecticut: the governor proclaimed a day of Thanksgiving, and by 1649, the colony celebrated a Thanksgiving day each year.

And thereafter it snowballed. By the time our 13 colonies had joined themselves together as a loose fraternity of independent & sovereign nation-states, each proclaimed a Thanksgiving at various times, as needed or as events warranted. This continued for another hundred years, until President Lincoln made it a permanent feature on the calendar for the whole nation.

The true history of Thanksgiving is a testament to our Christian heritage, upholding freedom to worship God in accordance with our own consciences.

A part of that freedom includes the freedom to "not worship", giving a bit of space to unbelievers, but the bulk of this freedom is the privilege to be religious: the freedom to worship God without being arrested, liberty not to be punished by the government if we believe some things are sinful.

The freedom to shout "Jesus" from the rooftops in every neighborhood, to "Preach the Gospel to all nations", using an uncensored bible in our own language, that we can read & interpret for ourselves.

How relevant is this today?

This very week, former President George W. Bush was honored to be entrusted with a handwritten Bible, made and secretly used in a Chinese labor camp by Chinese Christians who were imprisoned for attending "an illegal religious gathering".

China claims to be the largest publisher of Bibles in the world - for export. Yet the repressive communist government does not allow any freedom of religion - people are required to worship only where, when and how the Chinese government tells them they can. They can only have the version of the Bible that the government allows.

Afghanistan was visited by the apostles during Biblical times - Christianity is as old in Afghanistan as anywhere in the world. Yet the Bible is illegal there, and to be a Christian is to risk prison, or worse.

And in the United States of America itself, intolerant unbelievers have begun denying Christians freedom to practice our faith. Christians have been arrested and tried for the crime of preaching the Gospel to Moslems in Michigan. For "preaching too loudly" in North Carolina. For reading the Bible to people on the sidewalk in California.

This Thanksgiving, let us give thanks to our Father God for sending His Son Jesus Christ to save the world, for giving us the earthly blessings that are the fruit of Christianity: liberty, justice, equality, a good and moral society; and let us ask Him for laborers for the harvest, that America may continue to know our Father's favor. Godly leadership is needed more now than ever.

Thanksgiving Around the World

2011-11-03T17:50:00.000-07:00

Early American colonists, from many nations - in fact from all of Christendom, brought the frequent celebration of “Thanksgivings,” days of prayer thanking God for blessings such as a safe journey, a military victory or the end of a drought, with them to the New World. And this custom continued for centuries: more than 200 years after Coronado celebrated Thanksgiving in North Texas in 1541, the U.S. Continental Congress proclaimed a national Thanksgiving in 1789 upon the enactment of the Constitution – and was criticized by some members for “following European customs” that weren’t serious enough!

These Thanksgiving feasts were considered “secular” holidays despite being occasions for prayer & religious services because they originated from community or worldly life and were not required by the church, like mandatory Holy days are.

Here is a list of some other countries that celebrate their own unique Thanksgiving Day as a fixed holiday each year (info is from Wikipedia and from Consulate or official tourism websites for the various nations):

THE NETHERLANDS (Holland)

Leiden, South Holland, celebrates a Thanksgiving feast called "3 October" (or Drie Oktober ) every year, eating lots of hutspot to commemorate their rescue from The Siege of Leiden in 1574, when the Spanish failed in their attempt to capture the city of Leiden during the riotous, warring years of the reformation. Soon after the siege, this Calvinist city was temporary home to Dutch Mennonites, French Walloons/Huguenots, and the Pilgrims of the Mayflower. Having read about hutspot, I'm thinking we ought to add it to our own Thanksgiving dinner dishes!

CANADA

Canadian Thanksgiving Day is the 2^nd Monday in October, celebrated much like that in the United States, with turkey, pumpkin, and trimmings. The picture above is of Samuel de Champlain's "Order of Good Cheer" celebrating in 1606 in Acadia. Canada’s Thanksgiving also shares a similar history with ours: feasts by early explorers & colonists held jointly with Native American tribes for safe arrival at a destination, relief from drought, a good harvest, and other grateful events. Canada has held official Thanksgivings every year since 1879. Before that, going back to 1578, these feasts were observed at various times of year in different provinces. In 1957, Canada's legislature formalized the day as a harvest celebration in this proclamation: "A Day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed – to be observed on the 2nd Monday in October."

SWITZERLAND

“The Federal Day of Thanks, Penance, and Prayer (Jeune federal, Der Eidgenossische Dank-, Buss-, und Bettag) is an outgrowth of days established by religious and secular authorities since 1650. The modern observance, since 1832, on the third Sunday in September is a quiet day to review the good things received. “

LIBERIA

“In 1870, the legislature recognized "Liberia's dependence on the great Arbiter of events and established a Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the many good and loving kindnesses shown toward us as a people." Its observation occurs on the first Thursday in November. “

GRANADA

“Thanksgiving in Grenada is a public holiday held on October 25^th each year. Banks, business places and most shops are closed. Religious services, family meals and get-togethers are the order of the day in most households. In addition, the date commemorates the 1983 joint Caribbean and American military intervention (by invitation of the legitimate government) in Grenada, which restored free elections and a democratic way of life. “

CROATIA

“Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day and the Day of Croatian Defenders is a public holiday in Croatia, celebrated on August 5th. In 2008, the Parliament also assigned the name Day of the Croatian Defenders to the holiday, as a memorial to its War of Independence.. The main celebration is centered in Knin where there are festivities commemorating the event, beginning with a Mass and laying of wreaths in honor of those who died in the war, and continuing with parades and concerts. “

Annual Thanksgiving days are not as common perhaps as soccer in the wide world, but it is cool to see the threads that connect us in our shared histories with these nations. We can all find reasons to sit down to a good meal and say grace together!

A GREAT Christmas This Year, No Matter What

2011-10-30T14:11:00.000-07:00

One of the most memorable Christmases in my life was in the depths of the early 1980s recession, the year my grandmother had open heart surgery right after Thanksgiving. Between unemployment, faltering businesses, and serious health issues, everyone in the family had Big Worries and no money.

All of our gifts that year were either homemade or inexpensive. And we were together. The children were young. Confidence and hope for a good future took hold. It was Christmas.

Mema had always made the holiday dinners, but she wasn't able to that year, so Mama got to make Christmas Dinner and have it at her house. It was not something she wanted to take on permanently, but was a fun new experience, and we had a sumptuous meal.

Mema usually took care of buying any purchased gifts they gave, and Nandy often built furniture or toys in his workshop for us. But this year, he was too busy caring for Mema to make anything, so he went shopping on Christmas Eve.

Under the tree for me was a simple motto plaque. He said he thought about me immediately when he saw it. It reads:

"The Way To Happiness:
Keep your heart free from hate...
Your mind from worry...
Live simply... expect little...
Give much..."

It still hangs in our home, and it has inspired me during good times and bad for 30 years.

What were some of your best Christmases? I'll bet they weren't times when your family had the most money, but when you had the most love.

Make up your mind to make this one of those best Christmases.

Give from your heart in every way you can, and even if you don't spend a dime, Christmas will be beautiful for your children, your spouse, your family, your friends, your neighbors... and for you.

De-Occupy Wall Street

2011-10-26T10:15:00.000-07:00

Speaking of toil, there's a new Facebook group, and even though I have withdrawn from most FB activity, I like it!

"De-Occupy Wall Street"

My favorite comment so far, from the administrator:

"Create a job if none are available... that's what we do in the land of the free. There is no crying in freedom...only an open market."

Thanks to my FB pal for sharing it. :-)

"...but the blessing of earth is toil."

2011-10-25T17:58:00.000-07:00

"Born within a lowly stable, where the cattle 'round Me stood,
Trained a carpenter in Nazareth, I have toiled, and found it good.

"They who tread the path of labor follow where My feet have trod;
They who work without complaining do the holy will of God.

"Where the many toil together, there am I among My own;
Where the tired workman sleepeth, there am I with him alone."

More from Henry Van Dyke's "The Friendly Year". These verses are a small excerpt from "The Toiling of Felix, and Other Poems", first published in 1900, a lyrical meditation on the spiritual value of work and labor in a happy life.

...and another Henry Ossawa Tanner painting: the oft-marketed "Young Sabot Maker", in which Tanner, in Paris, depicted a young apprentice learning to make wooden shoes, using the same kinds of woodworking tools that carpenters have used for thousands of years. Compare with the one above, which Georges DelaTour painted in the mid 17th century, of St Joseph in his cabinet shop, with the young Jesus at hand. As Tanner moved deeper and deeper into his calling to paint the biblical reality, it is easy to imagine his meditation on Jesus' childhood in a carpenter's home.

Tanner said of his work "My effort has been to not only put the Biblical incident in the original setting ... but at the same time give the human touch "which makes the whole world kin" and which ever remains the same. "

In the poet's words:
"This is the gospel of labour, ring it, ye bells of the kirk!
The Lord of Love came down from above, to live with the men who work.
This is the rose that He planted, here in the thorn-curst soil:
Heaven is blest with perfect rest, but the blessing of Earth is toil."

Learning How to Make Real Yeast Bread From Scratch - in Two Hours!

2011-10-20T10:08:00.000-07:00

Last winter, I tried, unsuccessfully, to make homemade yeast rolls. I say "unsuccessfully" because they turned out exactly like cheap brown-n-serve rolls, except they took me all day (and 3 risings) to make.

Last weekend, I decided to keep trying until something worked. My recipe uses a method my grandmother learned in a breadmaking class 30 years ago. I chose it to start with because it is FAST (from start to baked in about 2 hours), and because it makes only one loaf (so less waste from failed experiments).

My first loaf, following the recipe & directions sort-of, was a pitiful failure. It used whole wheat flour, which made it heavy and dull. And when the instructions said "makes 2 small or one large loaf", I thought standard loaf pans were "small". Wrong. I crumbled it and dried it to put out this winter. Maybe the birds will eat it on snow days, if they get hungry enough.

So I immediately made another. This time, I tried one of the alternatives in the recipe and used plain white flour. But their idea of "enough flour" is not enough for my oven, I guess, because this loaf - although better than the first - was still too weak to reach the top of the loaf pan. More bird bread (although we did eat a few slices of this, and praised the flavor).

Paul made a couple of observations - one of which was to add more flour until the dough would have the strengh to stand up to the yeast - and I started again.

Success!!!! My husband went from amused skeptic to excited fan. He says that if I'll make a loaf of this every week, we will not need to buy bread any more. Right now, it is fun - only time will tell if it becomes a habit! But I did make another loaf, just as lovely & tasty, a few days ago, so it was not a fluke. :-)

Without buying in bulk, this bread costs about 94 cents per loaf to make (including electricity for the oven). The two most expensive ingredients are yeast and flour. If I buy yeast by the pound, and flour by the 25 pound sack, we could probably reduce that by 35 cents. Baking in a gas oven (or in, say, Idaho, where electricity costs half what it does in Texas, thanks to Federal dam projects of yesteryear), would shave another 6 cents off, bringing cost per loaf down to 53 cents.

It is simple enough that I could make a loaf after work - which is what I wanted. I simply do not have enough free time to bake, otherwise. Here's my final recipe:

One Fine Loaf

Before starting, turn oven light on, but DO NOT preheat oven. The heat from the light bulb will create a warm space for the dough to rise in.

1 1/2 Cups white flour
1/2 Cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
1 "scant" Tablespoon active dry yeast (or one package)

Mix these together. Then add:

1 Tablespoon cooking oil
2 Tablespoons cane syrup or golden syrup
1 2/3 cup hot tap water (hot to touch from the faucet, ~120 degrees F)

Beat for 2 minutes with electric mixer on medium (I used Paul's Kitchenaid) or by hand - you could even use an egg beater at this stage).

Add: 1 1/2 Cups white flour

If dough is still too sticky to remove from the bowl add another 1/2 cup to 1 cup white flour. The total amount of flour may vary from day to day.

Beat with dough hooks in a Kitchenaid mixer at medium to med-high for 3 minutes. Or knead vigorously by hand (to knead by hand, turn out onto a floured surface, flour your hands and knead until smooth and elastic).

Cover with a towel and allow to rise for 20 minutes. I accidentally skipped this rise and my bread turned out fine, but it will be better with it.

Grease one loaf pan with shortening (rub the entire inside of the pan and the top edge with a light coating of hard shortening or lard).

Punch down dough, turn over, tuck edges under to put the pretty side up and drop into the loaf pan.

Set the loaf pan in the oven, close the door and leave the light on (but do not start the oven yet).

Allow to rise until top of loaf is above the top of the pan, about 1 hour.

Optional: When loaf has risen but before turning the oven on, carefully brush the top with an egg wash (mixture of raw egg and 2 tablespoons water). Don't use all the egg wash on it, just enough to dampen the top. This will give the crust a nice shine.

Put loaf in center of oven, close the door, and turn the oven on to 350 degrees Fairenheit. No preheating needed - this loaf benefits from the gradual increase in temp that occurs if it is in the oven while it is heating.

Bake for 35 minutes.

If you did not do an egg wash, brush the top crust with melted butter as soon as you take it out of the oven.

Immediately turn the pan over and remove loaf from pan. If you thump the bottom, it will sound hollow. Cool upside down on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then turn upright and let sit on rack until fully cool - or until you can't wait any longer!

If this loaf was not perfect, make another asap, and keep trying until you love the results.

While baking is a science, it's a homely one, and that means there's a bit of artistry to it as well. You can bake beautiful bread - just make it until you do!

Come, Holy Spirit

2011-10-07T17:35:00.000-07:00

"All around the circle of human doubt and despair, where men and women are going out to enlighten and uplift and comfort and strengthen their fellow-men under the perplexities and burdens of life, we hear the cry for a gospel which shall be divine, and therefore sovereign and unquestionable and sure and victorious. All through the noblest aspirations and efforts and hopes of our Age of Doubt, we feel the longing, and we hear the demand, for a new inspiration of Christian faith."

Henry Van Dyke, as quoted in "The Friendly Year", a collection of Van Dyke's writing edited by George Sidney Webster, in 1909.

Art: Nicodemus visiting Jesus by night, painted by Henry Ossawa Tanner. Nicodemus was one of those in power who secretly came to Jesus, and, with Joseph of Aramathea, assisted in our Lord's proper burial. I love Tanner's beautiful paintings. I don't think anyone painted Christian Biblical scenes with the sense of concrete spirituality that Tanner achieved.

Henry Van Dyke and Henry Ossawa Tanner both played roles of ministry in World War I, drawn to serve by their passionate faith, and both were deeply affected by that Great War for Civilization.

Healing the Burns: References For Wildfire & Drought Recovery Plantings

2011-10-01T18:16:00.000-07:00

Every landscape contains some plants that will not grow unless they have gone through fire. These seed lay dormant, awaiting their call to action - awaiting the moment God created them for - and burst into life on burnt ground in due time.

But some locations, such as steep slopes that burned with a kiln-hot blaze, may need a little help. Especially, those prone to erosion may benefit from an extra supply of native grasses (pdf link here) mirroring those in place before the burn, so that the root systems can hold the soil in place.

One of Texas' native plant suppliers, "Native American Seed"aka SeedSource.com, has created a Wildfire Reference Guide that provides information, links to resources, tips and seed recommendations. This company has loads of information about effective use of native grasses in landscaping and in prairie restoration.

Another excellent website is "Firewise", sponsored by the National Fire Protection Association. Lots and lots of information, not only for professionals, but also excellent resources for homeowners. One full page is dedicated to tips for wildfire readiness & evacuation. Another shares plant lists provided by various State Extension Services.

The NFPA's preparedness efforts include "Ready, Set, Go!" Most of these readiness habits are important for any emergency evacuation, so it's worth reading even if you don't live in a wildfire-prone area.

We're "not out of the woods yet", but the future calls. Time to get to work on a Texas landscape that's on the mend, that will overcome the continuing drought. Although this drought that affects the entire states of Texas & Oklahoma, much of New Mexico, and even part of Louisiana, is not expected to end for another year, the Good Lord sends us rain to tide us over until the fullness of time in this natural cycle.

So now, in time for fall and winter moisture, is a good time for scattering locally-native wild seed.

We have not had major fires in our area this year. Our ecology suffers from the lack of moisture, heat and dehydration. As the rest of my St Augustine lawn dies under heavy water rationing, as have 2 mature apricot trees, a young apple tree, three young grapes, asparagus, herbs, and several perennials, I'm starting to think how to reconstruct our yard once the drought ends. And what I'm thinking is wild.

In addition to the resources mentioned above, the always-remarkable Texas Parks & Wildlife department has a great program for increasing our backyard & urban habitats called "Texas Wildscapes".

Last but not in any way least, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center has a Drought Resource Center that is especially inspiring and hope-filling right now.

The one nice thing about this summer has been not having to mow - normally a 3-hour-a-week job. What if, when I put out those new fruit trees on our extra lot, instead of being blanketed with grass that has to be cut, they were surrounded by permanent paths and un-mown, non-irrigated patches of native meadow and lovely wildflowers, like these from our visit to the Lady Bird Johnston Wildflower Center in Austin:

That could be an unexpected blessing indeed!

P.S. Tuesday, Oct 4th, is when Texas hosts National Night Out, and in our town, with no police force, our local Volunteer Fire Department is having open house - yours probably is, too. Drive over to the fire station and visit, shake hands with these uncommon young men in your community. Chances are they've spent many hours fighting or preventing fires this summer.

Speaking of Standard Bearers: Rick Perry Stands Up

2011-09-21T15:24:00.000-07:00

This is what a successful leader looks like. Let's get America working again!

via And So it Goes in Shreveport: Rick Perry's New Ad

The President's Failure, and His Refusal To Be The Standard Bearer

2011-09-21T10:11:00.000-07:00

So. The new book about President Obama and The Tech Coast Whiz Kids Administration is out. I rarely read political books, but plan to read “Confidence Men: Wall Street, Washington, and the Education of a President,” by Ron Suskind. From all accounts to date, it simply confirms that what many recognized early on: that the Obama presidency was premature, before he had acquired skill or experience, and as a result, this administration is immature to the point of incompetency.

We were sold the iPresident, a candidate was picked out and packaged like a boy band. The promoters knew they were sending a teen idol to the White House but they didn't realize before September 2008 that it was going to take, not a spokes-model, but a man, to do a far more difficult job than they could imagine. After the "global" engineered - and false - economy began to crumble on its foundation of sand, the era of the Staged Reality Show was at an end, and cold reality reasserted sobering truths.

The country needed a statesman and we got a lip syncing TV personality.

I've said elsewhere that no one who loves America ever wants a president to fail, because the president's primary role is as standard bearer. Whether we voted for him or not, whether we like him or not, the president represents America as the Best of the Best, standing in our place for better or worse. Both Reagan and Clinton had their detractors, but even those who didn't vote for them were able to benefit from effective, lawful (yes, despite Iran/Contra, both generally maintained the rule of law, as opposed to Gunwalker), and predictable governance.

Of course traditional conservatives and those of us who respect liberty wanted Mr Obama's plans to fail. We said "No" to monopoly money & crony credit and "No" to brother-in-law bureaucracy and "No" to unelected, immature czar-babies.

But we can want his plans to fail and tranformations to fail and ambitions to fail without giving up hope on the man. This is why pollsters find that people still say they "like him as a person" while being completely appalled at his dismal performance. Or as Shelby Steele wrote earlier this month in the Wall Street Journal: "Indeed, on the matter of Mr. Obama's character, today's left now sounds like the right of three years ago. They have begun to see through the man and are surprised at how little is there."

What we who did not vote for him and were very concerned about what we knew (and especially, what we didn't know) about him had hoped about Mr Obama was what Richard Fernandez, of Belmont Club, said: "Nearly all the great captains of secular history have learned from their mistakes." Our hopes proved wrong, since President Obama will not learn, "He is doomed by his own hubris to tragedy…"

America must not elect this man again, and we must try to undo the harm, but we can stand with Rick Perry and pray that God look after President Obama in the interim and give him wisdom he sorely lacks - not for his own sake, but for the sake of the United States of America, for our friends like Israel, and for our own sakes.

A man may discover he is, ultimately, a success as a man, despite having to give up dream after dream in the effort of life for the needs of his family or his country or just being steadfast and accountable every day. That's what being the standard bearer is.

That is what the job of the President is. Not to push legislation or wrangle policies, but to learn from mistakes, to be steadfast and accountable where the best interest of the nation comes first, last, and always (to paraphrase Barbara Jordan). To fly our flag.

But President Obama is not willing to be the standard bearer. Even now, he will not fly our flag or plant crosses or lift the torch. Not in Afghanistan, not in America. All of our prayers cannot overrule the man’s own stubborn free will, cannot save him from himself.

President Obama is failing continually at the real job. And that is bad for America.

Pray for his conversion, for a change of heart. Pray that the Father will send a laborer to share the true Good News with him. There’s still time for good to come out of the rest of his term, if Christ is in his heart.

Adding To Our Media Library: Best British Mysteries, Clean Comedy, and Awesome Nature & Travel Documentaries

2011-09-18T13:39:00.000-07:00

So today I have been searching for DVD bargains on Amazon. We are fleshing out our collection with clean comedy, documentaries, movies we'll watch over and over. I do not have an Amazon affiliate account, so it you are going to buy from there, be sure and use the Amazon Search Box on your favorite blog. They'll make a little on it and it won't add to your cost. :-)

Clean Comedy: The funniest comedians make us laugh without embarassing us, and comics like Jeff Allen stand right up there with Jeff Foxworthy. My husband has a new by-word: "I'm a happy, happy, man." Heh.

Two great collections to pick new favorite entertainers from are the Apostles of Comedy and Thou Shalt Laugh (several volumes available - we started with Volumes 1 & 2. Read the reviews before buying - viewers say Volume 3 contains inappropriate material).

Used Boxed Sets on Amazon can be a real bargain. Be sure you are getting the DVD version, because there are still some VHS tapes down in the "lowest price first" sort!

If you don't yet own "Planet Earth: The Complete BBC Series" with the original David Attenborough's narration, it's a great bargain right now. I got a pristine set last month for less than $15.00. That's 550 minutes - more than 9 hours - of magnificent footage. Get the regular dvd, not the HD one - the regular boxed set contains hours more programming with fascinating "behind the scenes" footage.

I ordered the "Reader's Digest Journeys of a Lifetime Boxed Set" today. It has 13 hours of armchair travel for as low as $5.00. These kinds of things are nice to unwind and settle down with right before bed time.

More than 6 hours of "TV Classics: Westerns Vol. 1 and 2 (Box Set)" for a penny - $3 once you add in shipping. Buy from Amazon for $2.98 with free shipping. Or find a "just launched" seller and buy from them - support home businesses by helping a new seller get of the ground!

The BBC did a series of "The Chronicles of Narnia (BBC)" in the 1980s that reviewers say is even better than the recent movies. One reviewer notes that the BBC version is carefully true to the story as written by C.S. Lewis, so the nuances of the books remain intact. I'm looking forward to seeing this.

Speaking of the BBC and Masterpiece Mystery, some of my favorite recent discoveries on the British Mystery front are:

New Tricks - There just aren't enough praises for this well written, perfectly cast ensemble series about an engaging trio of retired detectives dragged back into service by a cute, tough, woman inspector who's young enough to be their daughter, good (and old) enough to be their boss, and real enough to need their friendship. The age jokes are realistic - and funny - but it's the serious plots that won me over. Interesting cold-case crimes that unfold in fascinating detail, that require both deep historical research and human deduction to unravel. Warm and believable relationships between the characters (nearly all the supporting cast recur, just as they would in real life). Love the characters, love the scripts, love the theme song, love the series!

Sherlock - Another that rates pure applause. The premise sounded like a bad idea: Conan-Doyle's detective set into the 21st century world. I thought: "Yawn." I feared Romeo & Juliet in blue jeans. Then when the show started I sat up and paid attention. Wow. Simply, truly, brilliant.

Here's an idea of how good "Sherlock" is: 259 reviews on Amazon, and 247 of them are 4 star or better (224 are 5 star!)! Smart. Witty. Fast paced. Clever. Not suitable for young children, as the violence is dark, but not gratuitously so, and so far it is relatively "clean". Martin Freeman's Dr. Watson is perhaps the best I've ever seen, and Benedict Cumberbatch pays tribute to Jeremy Brett's fearless high energy while making the role his very own.

Speaking of Sherlock, Gerard Van Der Leun of "American Digest", has a downloadable PDF of his book "The Quotable Sherlock Holmes" available free to his readers. Or, you can buy a print copy or the Kindle Edition on Amazon. (I'll also take this opportunity to thank him for permission to keep and display the nifty "Welcome to Texas" Bilboard over on the left (my other left).

Other Greatest Hits of the BBC and PBS Mystery include Mr Palfrey of Westminster - a surprisingly clever (and believable) series about a cold war era consumate British spy catcher working within the heart of London to foil Russian efforts to undermine Western governments. Presents as a "cozy" but it is not. The cloak and dagger deceptions extend even to his own staff, and Palfrey's counter-espionage skill will keep you guessing. It reminds me pleasantly of LeCarre's low-key approach.

I've written before about Inspector Lewis. It's still a favorite and I plan to buy the series soon. I'll watch this one for a long time. (P.S. Paul says "You forgot Lovejoy. You need to mention Lovejoy in there. It's still a favorite of your husband, who plans to buy the series soon." Hee!)

Once you get past the low budget cinematography, the BBC movies (actually mini-series - some are nearly 5 hours long) made from PD James' books that star Roy Marsden as Adam Dagliesh are very good. The two more recent, standard-length movies in which Martin Shaw is cast as Dagliesh, Death in Holy Orders and The Murder Room, are also excellent. Each man brings a different look at the complex poet-detective's personality.

I ordered a couple more neat dvds totalling less than $5 each with SuperSaver shipping, but I can't mention them here yet because I want to surprise Paul with them, and he reads Pecan Corner. Hi, Honey! Love you much! :-D

So what great media bargains have you found recently? Or have you discovered a fab British, Scots or Irish show that we all need to know about? Do tell!

Life Without Cable or Satellite TV: More Time & Money For Good Things!

2011-09-11T18:30:00.000-07:00

During the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit debate, the storyline was that elderly people had to choose between buying medicine or buying food. Today, I guess the new storyline is that the poor in America must choose between Affordable Twitter and watching American Idle Idol, or feeding their children home cooked breakfast & home-packed lunchboxes.

I don't know which is worse: the FCC requiring a philanthropic subscriber gimmick as part of a business deal, or the requirement that a family be paying for cable TV while getting "free" school lunches as a requirement for Comcast (aka NBC Universal) "giving" them "affordable" internet as long as they keep getting government handouts.

No wonder Washington can't understand what "Stop spending!" means. They have utterly lost the ability to comprehend true needs.

Well, back to the real world - not that one, the real real one. The one the rest of us, rich or poor, TANSTAAFL or free school lunch by necessity, live in.

About six months ago, we canceled our TV service.

First we gave up satellite TV. It would have been cable we were giving up, but we can't get cable here, so it was satellite.

I had gradually stopped watching TV altogether, but it was Paul who came up with the idea, after he figured out that he could catch every show he liked ("First 48", assorted sports, Fox News shows) by streaming them on the computer without paying extra - like the old days when rabbit ears or an antenna would pick up the network and local channels for free, like magic, just by plugging in the television set.

Except now it's still like magic, just by plugging in the thing that looks like a television set. Plus we save about $70, $80, $90 a month. Comes in handy at the gas pumps. And when the electric bill comes in during this record heat.

Next, after having a Netflix subscription for about a year, I've watched all their British mysteries on dvd (they aren't available streaming) and Paul has seen all the episodes of Lovejoy (not available streaming). New movies aren't ever available. The things we tried to watch streaming, wouldn't complete an hour without Netflix (not our DSL internet) going down for extended periods of time.

So when they announced yet another rate increase, and explained that they were raising rates to manipulate customers into using fewer features instead of compensating for rising costs, we looked at our own budget and cancelled Netflix.

The cost of our subscription now buys us 2 or 3 used dvds each month to add to our collection of favorites (go through your favorite blogger's site link to Amazon). And helps pay the water bill to keep the shrubs and trees alive during this drought.

We are both reading more books than we have in a long time. We've found some wonderful resources for Christian study, and discovered a whole genre of clean stand-up comedy. There's more time to do real things. There's less feeling of being addicted to flickering images and more awareness of bird song just outside our door.

Someday we'll probably join Netflix again, and someday we may get a subscription for TV service again. But for now, we don't miss either one.

And we're glad we took the big leap away from it all.

What Did People Do Before Blogs? The American Amateur Press Association (AAPA) is 75 Years Old This Month!

2011-09-08T10:21:00.000-07:00

This is
A Printing Office

Crossroads of Civilization
Refuge of All the Arts
Against the Ravages of Time
Armoury of Fearless Truth
Against Whispering Rumour
Incessant Trumpet of Trade
From this Place words May Fly Abroad
Not to Perish on Waves of Sound
Not to Vary with the Writer's Hand
But Fixed in Time, Having been Verified in Proof

Friend You Stand on Sacred Ground

This is a Printing Office

Beatrice Wade -1932
Printed in the Heritage Center Print Shop
Lancaster Pennsylvania

"Printed by AAPA members Mike Donnelly, Ken Kulakowsky, and
Rich Rtladge on an O.S. 8x12 C&P treadle driven platen press."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Interested? Check out the American Amateur Press Association,* now celebrating its 75th year of hobby journalism & printing arts. Don't let the word "Amateur" fool you - some of the finest professionals in their industries have published in these bundles (and in eJournals)for simple pleasure since the AAPA was started by a bunch of teenagers in 1936. The AAPA welcomes writers, printers, publishers, editors, artists, illustrators, cartoonists & poets of all ages, from home schooled students to newspapermen to professional printers to true amateurs.

The great forerunners of blogs, amateur press associations have played a part in the lives and career choices and hobby pasttimes of thousands of ordinary Americans during the 20th century. In the AAPA, monthly bundles mailed to each member, annual Laureate Awards, and an annual convention bring everybody together. Clean, friendly, and just for simple fun.

(*Please note, effective this month, dues have risen to $25 per year, to accomodate a move from bulk rate to 1st Class mailing. To receive a trial bundle, contact the secretary.)

UPDATE: Linked by And So It Goes In Shreveport. Thanks! :-)

And So it Goes in Shreveport: "Priorities"

2011-09-06T14:47:00.000-07:00

Pat Austin proves once again just what an awesome blogger she is with her post about Governor Perry's response to the Texas wild fires that are raging across the beautiful, native, Texas Hill Country; raging through the gracious Pineywoods into Louisiana and into Arkansas, raging through the Post Oak belt that runs all the way up into Oklahoma (which is suffering too), raging through the prairies where the Red Wing Blackbirds fly.

Go over to And So It Goes in Shreveport, and see the terrifying pictures Pat has put up to give you just an inkling of what is happening to our state. God bless our governor for having his priorities in order: lives come before politics, before money, before anything else.

God bless Texas.

Trying To Fight It: 62 New Fires, 2 Dead, 500+ Homes Burned Since Yesterday

2011-09-05T17:08:00.000-07:00

(Photo a reader-submited picture by@calebthefox via Twitter to the Austin Statesman Reader Wildfire Photos Gallery: http://galleries.statesman.com/gallery/reader-wildfire-photos/#217883) Sunday, September 4, 2011 (updated on 9/05/2011 at 6:15 p.m.)

Merv at Prairie Pundit, reports that Governor Perry returned to Texas because of the terrible fires that have burned more than 500 homes and killed two since yesterday, forcing him to cancel his plans to take part in the DeMint Palmetto Freedom Forum.

[9/6/11 Update: Losses have climbed to at least 1,000 homes burned to the ground as of this morning. And the fire still burns.]

While Texas has fought fires constantly all summer, major fires that erupted yesterday in Travis & Bastrop Counties are threatening Austin's environs - Bastrop is commuting distance from Austin, as are Cedar Park, Spicewood Springs, and other areas being discussed in news reports. This is the heart of "the Hill Country" of fame and legend. In East Texas, fires caused the deaths of two people yesterday.

Here is a link to Austin Statesman Reader Photos of the fires. There are some really terrifying shots among these - and some that make very clear how dire the situation is.

The Texas Forest Service updates can be found here. This page is usually updated each night, to reflect the previous day's information.

Links to information & a video about the massive blazes known as "fire storms" can be found at Texasfirestorm.org.

Here is a link to a Wild Fire Map (via About.com) from the USDA Active Fire Mapping Program that is updated regularly to show wildfires for the whole United States. As you can see at the time of posting, Texas is on fire.

The InciWeb Fact Sheet on Texas Wild Fires can be found here. The stats updated as of half an hour ago include these sobering numbers:

Total fires in Texas since Nov. 15, 2010: 20,906

Total acres burned in Texas since Nov. 15, 2010: 3,601,775

(exceeds previous record of 2,105,361 acres set in 2005-2006)

Fires in Texas in 2011: 18,887

Fires nationally in 2011: 55,477

Proportion of total national fires in 2011 that have occurred in Texas: 34 percent

Acres burned in Texas in 2011: 3,538,852

Acres burned nationally in 2011: 7,213,113

Proportion of total national acres that have burned in Texas: 49 percent

Ten-year U.S. national average acres burned: 5,863,193 acres/year

Six of the 10 largest wildfires in Texas history occurred in 2011.

Total Aviation Hours: 13,577.05 (As of 9/5/11)

Total aviation drops: 40,950

Gallons of fire retardant dropped: 4,856,080

Gallons of water dropped: 20,851,869

Most flight hours recorded in a single day: 238.39 (20 June 2011)

Most gallons of water and retardant dropped in a single day: 1,188,883 (1 Sept 2011)

(Note: All air operation figures are from 21 Dec. 2010, when record-keeping began.)

Texas counties where Texas Forest Service has fought wildfires: 199 of 254

Homes and structures saved since November 15, 2010: 45,359

Homes saved: 29,055

Homes and structures lost since November 15, 2010: 3,523

Homes lost: 1,091

Record number of homes lost in Texas history on a single fire: 476 homes lost on the Bastrop County Complex Fire on Sept. 4 and 5, 2011.

How to Prevent Weevils & Pantry Moths & Get Rid of Them Forever

2011-09-05T11:05:00.000-07:00

In Home Economics class, they taught us how to sift flour, but never owned up to the real reason sifters were invented: to remove weevils from flour back in the days when throwing it away might have meant starvation. Some people call them flour moths, mealy bugs, Indian Moths, pantry webs... lots of names because good housewives everywhere have been plagued with them for centuries.

I will never forget how horrified I was in my first home when weevils were in my flour. It really freaked me out. That was when I talked to my grandmother to find out what to do. She told me 3 things: (1) Put a bay leaf in everything, (2) store in airtight containers, (3) if you have them, clean thoroughly to get rid of them, then follow (1) & (2).

Getting weevils in grains or moths in the pantry doesn't mean you don't keep a clean house but once you know how to keep them away, you never have to cope with them again.

(1) Put a bay leaf or two (a dried, culinary Bay Leaf) in each canister or bag. It will not put out any flavor or odor to the food, but will prevent weevils or moths. Mema told me that weevils come in the flour/grain, and that the secret is to keep them from hatching. That prevention is what the bay leaves do, and they really work. Even an airtight container may not prevent weevils, but the comination of a bay leaf in a closed environment well.

(2) Store everything in airtight containers. I like clear containers so I can see what I have. Otherwise I forget. And I like plastic because I'm a klutz, but glass is superior otherwise. Clear plastic, clear glass, or brand-name zip storage bags (like Zip-Loc heavy-duty gallon bags) are all fine. Tins and opague plastic, such as Tupperware, will work great too so long as you can remember how to find things.

I leave things in their original package, and use a container big enough to just drop them down into. The Bay Leaf can then go into the container and doesn't have to be directly in the package of flour or barley. Plus that way I can remember what brand I bought.

Keep birdseed and pet food in airtight containers too. These are notorious and easy to forget. If possible, keep both of these items outside the house, in the garage. Rubbermaid tubs are super for large quantities or for storing several kinds of items in their original packaging. Airtight & watertight, Rover and the red birds will love you for keeping their food fresh. Birds don't mind the protein from the bugs but still I'm sure they'd rather have the sunflower seeds!

(3) To get rid of a problem with them if you already see pantry moths or weevils, empty the pantry and brush it thoroughly, including the joints, with a stiff brush, then vacuum using the crevace tool or a dust buster- including the joints. If you don't have a vacuum, use a whisk broom or other stiff brush and give it a good brushing on all surfaces.

If it won't hurt the pantry to get it damp, wipe it down after that with soap & water and allow to dry completely. Don't use pine oil or anything with a strong scent as foods might pick it up. Just use soapy water and wring out your washcloth well. No need to rinse - the soap residue will also help keep pests away.

When you put things back, put them into containers with a bay leaf first. Inspect the stuff you took out to be sure it doesn't have weevils before putting it back. Telltale signs are small holes in the packaging, webby
clumps in flour or meal, and of course, weevils themselves.

All of this may sound like a lot of work, but it's not really. Once you get the pantry set up, it's only a matter of keeping it up. So when a new bag of flour comes in, straight away it goes into the flour tub. New boxes of cake mix can go into the same Zip-Loc bag the others came out of. Easy-peasy.

And it doesn't have to cost much at all. Some will be free: recycle containers you'd otherwise throw away. Start one at a time, with flour and grains, as you get a container, put something in it. Any kind of containers that fit your budget are fine. My stuff is stored in pickle jars, Zip-Loc brand bags, mason jars, cannisters that rice came in, Tupperware from garage sales, big cannisters from the dollar store, sugar in a plastic sherbet tub.

Voila! Vintage living at its best: no more bugs, no more waste, and no poisonous pesticides. Just clean, all-natural remedies and a tidy house.

Cooking at Home: How to Feed A Family Well on $___ a Month

2011-09-03T20:09:00.000-07:00

The cost of essentials just keeps rising. To keep up a good standard of living even during tough times we often change our approach. Food prices are expected to climb during the rest of this year. How to avoid an empty larder and keep the pantry full when money is tight? How to keep those boys with hollow legs filled up and keep the lights on at the same time? One way is by stocking up and cooking at home. Make it an adventure! Think of economizing as "vintage living".

During the 1990's, we fed our family of 5 plus the assorted houseguests and friends that three teenaged sons brought home for around $300 per month. I think that would be about $450 a month in today's food dollars. We didn't have a garden, and we didn't receive food stamps. If one does have food stamps and/or a local food bank, there is still a need to make those resources stretch further.

Angel Food Ministries didn't exist at that time, but it is a neat way to save on your food budget and still buy high quality food. AFM is a Christian food ministry that operates on the order of a co-op: everyone qualifies, no applications or limits, and anyone can buy groceries through Angel Food Ministries for about half the usual cost of the items in each month's box.

What we DID have that "saved our bacon" in the food budget, then and now, were:
(1) a commitment to stocking up & eagerness to watch for bargains
(2) a Freezer
(3) a willingness to cook from scratch & eat only homemade meals
(4) a willingness to forego chips, sodas, cookies & other packaged foods

I love to grocery shop. Since I first married, that has been my favorite household task. So I go to all the stores and go up and down every aisle, just looking at things. If I see a bargain on something we use, I buy a lot of it - depending on how well it keeps & where you can store it, sometimes you can buy enough to last a year. I once bought a 50 lb bag of rice. That was a little much. I think I stumped my toes on the cans we stored it in for a couple of years. Ooops.

It's not good to overbuy, but you'll get to a point where you're always nicely stocked up and only have to buy when it's on sale.

For example, Alco recently had canned wild Alaska Salmon with an expiration date of July 2015. We don't use salmon that much so I only bought 5 cans. Had it been canned tuna, I probably would have asked for a whole case. On the other hand, canned evaporated milk does not keep well past its due-date, so I only buy a few cans at a time so that we can be sure to use it up before it expires.

One thing we do use a lot in our cooking is canned mushrooms. We buy the least expensive "stems and pieces" because there is absolutely no difference in the flavor. Big Lots has them right now at 50 cents a can (a savings of about 69 cents each over regular price in the grocery store), with an expiration of April 2012. I bought 20 cans! We're assured of mushrooms til March.

I don't know how families with children survive without a freezer. Ours has always made such a difference for us. I never have to buy meat that isn't an excellent bargain. Tonight, we had a lovely Boston Butt Pork Roast that I bought in July for $1.49 a pound. More than 4 pounds of meat for a little over $6.00. Paul cooked it in the crock pot and it is so tender! The two of us will get 3 or 4 meals from this - & we could stretch it further if needed. Over the next few days, we'll have easy Moo Shu Pork, a catch-all pork fried rice or stir fry, Mexican style in adobo sauce...

Because we have a freezer, I was able to buy several roasts and put them away. If I had bought one today, not on sale, it would have cost twice as much. I wouldn't've bought a roast at that price, so it's not that I "saved" money so much as that we are able to eat better quality food while staying on a small budget. Here's a link to the USDA's website on safe food freezing practices, including how to save frozen food in case of a power outage. When our freezer is not full of food, we use bags of ice to take up the remaining space & help it operate most efficiently - this reduces electricity use & helps protect against loss in case the power went out.

Eating out is very costly over home cooking, but it is so hard to get off work and still put a meal on the table every night. The freezer saved us during those years because we could cook up meals in advance to pull out and reheat after working all day and having no time to cook. Beans ( I love pintos) freeze great and taste far better than canned. Sauces for pasta, chicken & egg noodles, enchiladas, meat loaf, casseroles, soups and stews...all will make you smile when you pull them out of the freezer for supper. AllRecipes.com has a special category with hundreds of "Make Ahead" recipes.

Even cooked hamburger patties, grilled chicken, and other chopped cooked meats in the freezer can make it easier to put a casserole or skillet dinner together than to fight traffic getting to & from the fast food joint. With sauces made up in advance, we could have pasta at the drop of a hat. German sausage was also a mainstay for nights we forgot to thaw something.

We also froze things for the boys to nuke in the morning for breakfast. Paul used to make huge batches of pancakes, sausage patties or bacon, then put portions into baggies for the freezer. Ethan could heat them up and have his breakfast while waiting his turn in the shower. Ditto with sausage biscuits, banana nut muffins, german sausage tortilla wraps, breakfast tacos ...

Our current freezer is a small, 7.2 cubic feet chest type Frigidaire. These cost between $250-$300. For more encouragement about how a freezer can help your food budget, read the reviews on the small freezers at the Frigidaire site. Lots of ideas for where to keep the freezer and stories about how people use them.

Cooking at home made a difference in more than our budget. We noticed that our tastes changed, and our sons became adventurous eaters. They liked eating healthy. They liked eating at home. Nicolas would make a salad for his after school snack. Ethan was on the swim team, and made ramen noodles when he came in - essential carbs and fats for energy. Canned tuna (in water, they requested), peanut butter sandwiches (no jelly), scrambled eggs in the microwave (lower in fat, they said) gave them protein between meals.

Now that they are adults, they all still cook for themselves and their families. And we all have a lot of nice memories to share about the shopping and cooking and eating we did together when they were growing up.

Dr Martin Luther King Jr Memorial: "To Bring Glory To the Chinese People"?

2011-09-01T17:27:00.000-07:00

It is a terrible sign of our times that what should have been a magnificent project, reflective of American craftsmanship, honoring one of the quintessentially great Americans of all time, has instead become a textbook example of all that is worst about arrogant professionals, outsourced manufacturing, arbitrary design standards, outrageous ignorance, and shoddy, cheap imports.

Dr Martin Luther King Jr.'s remembrance in a towering statue on the national mall was carried out in such a way that someone even had the hubris to rewrite the great preacher's own words. Poet Maya Angelou, who was on the committee of historians that recommended quotations, said of the faked version: "The quote makes Dr. Martin Luther King look like an arrogant twit. He was anything but that. He was far too profound a man for that four-letter word to apply."

Rationale given for chopping ~30 words off of the real quote? "Space constraints." Click here to see just how constrained space was on that side of the monument.

More likely, the socio-politico-design group had a brainstorm that it would be clever to enhance the "Drum Major" theme to coordinate with the Obama administration's "MLK Drum Major for Service" brand element for the "Martin Luther King Jr Day of Service January 16, 2010" "Make it a day on, not a day off!" [1/16/12 note: the linked page has been edited since originally linked. It now contains the entire quotation.]

The monument is 30 feet tall, 46 tons of stone, that was built in communist China and cost $120 million dollars (of which $10 million was authorized by Congress), including $25 million from the Chinese government. Why would China contribute $25 million to an American memorial to a Christian minister? More important, what patriotic American would take totalitarian money for this project? Yes, there is a difference between the Dr Martin Luther King memorial project and ordinary business deals. At least there is to me. What else do our government and intelligensia think is ok to barter away to China?

Commenter RossEmery on the Washington Post pointed out (in a fine and careful critique) that the uncharacteristic pose of Dr King and retro-red-Russian-revolution artistic style of the statue was objectionable to Americans on the US Commission of Fine Arts as far back as 2008, and probably before that.

The statue of this devout Christian man was deliberately made to look "reminiscent of political art in totalitarian states" (which China still is), and Thomas Luebke protested that ""the colossal scale and Social Realist style of the proposed statue recalls a genre of political sculpture that has recently been pulled down in other countries."

Yes, sculptor Lei Yixin may be a master craftsman, acclaimed in China for his carving of Chairman Mao Tse Tung, and yes, his rendering of Dr King is technically precise. I do not fault the artist in any way: he has accomplished the task he was given. But I've seen nothing, no explanation, no manner of thought, that would suggest him to be in any way artistically or philosophically qualified to carve a National Monument for the United States of America.

In another 2008, article, the Post reported that the Commission had agreed to approve the statue following changes that "smoothed away wrinkles in King's brow and reshaped the mouth to impart a hint of a smile." I imagine the rendering shown at this link (click here) depicts what they were expecting.

But this is what they got:

Click to enlarge it and try to find a smile, and try to ignore the creases in the man's brow - creases that never appear when a person is smiling, only when they frown. Do you see a smile in any of these angles of this image of Dr King?

It gets worse. Apparently, China was allowed to import Chinese laborers to assemble the memorial in Washington DC- workers who did not know how much or even whether they would be paid for their work. They were housed for months, both teams, in two hotel rooms, hidden away, required to cook their own meals in their room, not allowed out. They were given "free" lunch and allowed to stop working long enough to eat quickly.

They were told only that they would not be paid until they returned to China. They said they were working "for "national honor... To bring glory to the Chinese people."

I think Dr King would have called that something dangerously close to slave labor.

I know that it is wrong to treat people this way. It is wrong. It doesn't matter what other countries' "culture" accepts - this is America. This is why illegal immigration is wrong, and why Barbara Jordan opposed so-called "guest worker" programs. She pointed out that other countries have tried this and we do not want to be like that - America does not want to have a permanent underclass like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and other countries who deliberately bring in destitute foreigners to work without any rights and little pay.

I think all patriotic Americans - Democrat or Republican, conservative or liberal or progressive, Christian or Athiest - can agree that there is no room in the United States for human trafficking - or for anything that leads down that ugly and terrible road - whether in cherry orchards on the West coast, or surrounded by ornamental cherry trees on the National Mall.

The Martin Luther King Jr National Memorial foundation leadership need to step up and distance themselves from the appalling exploitation that's been committed on this project. I imagine most either didn't know what was going on or, knew but accepted smooth explanations that made it easier for them to pretend reality wasn't happening. They accomplished their objective, but at the expense of Dr King's example, and in opposition to his teaching.

In his Christmas Sermon, 1967, Dr King spoke about just such globalization as we have seen in the work on this statue. And if one stopped reading halfway through, or read only an edited version that snipped the real meaning, it would be easy to believe that he might actually approve what's been done. But don't stop halfway - because he speaks to ends, and means:

"But we will never have peace in the world until men everywhere recognize that ends are not cut off from means, because the means represent the ideal in the making, and the end in process, and ultimately you can’t reach good ends through evil means, because the means represent the seed and the end represents the tree."

It is only a statue. The man's legacy is not in cold rock or hard imperial edges. His legacy is in an America that's better than it was, in which for the vast majority of citizens, much of his dream has come true, and we live together as brothers and sisters, regarding only the content of a person's character and paying no notice to the color of anyone's skin.

The full quotation? Here are the paragraphs Dr King delivered, speaking about what he might like said of him after he was gone:

" I'd like somebody to mention that day, that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to give his life serving others. I'd like for somebody to say that day, that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to love somebody. I want you to say that day, that I tried to be right on the war question. I want you to be able to say that day that I did try to feed the hungry. I want you to be able to say that day that I did try in my life to clothe those who were naked. I want you to say, on that day, that I did try, in my life, to visit those who were in prison. I want you to say that I tried to love and serve humanity.

" Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice; say that I was a drum major for peace; I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter. I won't have any money to leave behind. I won't have the fine and luxurious things of life to leave behind. But I just want to leave a committed life behind. And that's all I want to say.

" We all have the drum major instinct. We all want to be important, to surpass others, to achieve distinction, to lead the parade. ... And the great issue of life is to harness the drum major instinct. It is a good instinct if you don't distort it and pervert it. Don't give it up. Keep feeling the need for being important. Keep feeling the need for being first. But I want you to be the first in love. I want you to be the first in moral excellence. I want you to be the first in generosity."

Images from National Park Service (NPS.gov)

Texas Accent? What Texas Accent?

2011-08-22T19:11:00.000-07:00

A few years ago, I was in California for a large meeting in the company I worked for. I'm an Okie who lived in the Permian Basin most of my adult life. So my soft Oklahoma drawl is overlaid with a layer of West Texas twang. Whenever I visited the corporate offices in Silicon Valley, it wasn't unusual for people to follow me around listening - not so much melodious as a novelty, I expect.

Among the international staff attending this day-long meeting was a woman from our South Korean office. She commented to me during one session that she was having trouble following the speakers (all from the West Coast), due to their accents. She said she had to translate from English to Korean in her head and their pronunciation made this a real challenge.

We were staying at the same hotel, and had dinner together that night. Mindful of what she had told me earlier, I tried to speak slowly and distinctly. At one point I asked her directly if she was able to understand
me ok?

She laughed and said "I went to school at UT. I learned to speak English in Texas. You sound normal to me!"

The University of Texas at Austin ranks consistently in the top 10 US schools educating international students every year. Foreign students at UT focus especially in science and engineering fields. Texas A&M has the second highest international enrollment in Texas. Texas universities have the 3rd highest population of foreign student enrollments in the country, following only California and New York. They come from all over the world, and top home countries for these students are South Korea, India, China, Mexico, and Taiwan.

I keep seeing articles where people opine that Texas accents are some kind of drawback to a successful political campaign.

They should be remindful that such an attitude toward regional dialects is not only inaccurate and based on faulty comparisons, but also is likely to seem awfully provincial on the world stage, where, to a high percentage of international graduates, this is the normal American accent.

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Global Warming Vanities; or Jobs, Electricity, and Fuel? Rick Perry Has His Priorities in Order

2011-08-21T19:26:00.000-07:00

In New Hampshire, a woman came to an event to see Governor Perry and told her son to ask the Governor his views on the theory of evolution and if he knew how old the earth is.

An article on a website I had not posted to before (not one I link to) suggested that Governor Perry should give political answers to science questions, so as to avoid having the wrong opinion. I thought I posted a response but it hasn't shown up (I probably mis-submitted or something) so I will use it here instead as a base for a longer post.

Watch Governor Perry (whose degree is in Animal Science) over time, and I think you will find that he gave political answers to these questions - and smart, nuanced answers at that. He reached his intended audience with his intended message while displaying gentle respect to a little boy whose mother was using her child for her own political agenda.

Asked "How old do you think the earth is?" Governor Perry moved down to eye level with the boy and said "You know what, I don't have any idea - I know it's pretty old, so it goes back a long, long ways. I'm not sure anybody actually knows completely and absolutely how old the earth is."

The mother then instructed her son to "Ask him why he doesn't believe in science."

"I hear your mom was asking about evolution," Perry told the boy. "That's a theory that is out there - and it's got some gaps in it."

He told a child that science requires the study of facts, and that the answers are to be found within the gaps in our knowledge. Surely no scientist would disagree.

He added: "In Texas we teach both Creationism and Evolution in our public schools -- because I figure you're smart enough to figure out which one is right."

He told a young boy he's not afraid to give children all the info we have and let them think for themselves (and the parents listening all heard the tacit inference that this man won't try to indoctrinate their children).

While creationism and Intelligent Design are not a part of the approved curriculum in Texas schools, they would be allowed as part of the study, evaluation and critique of scientific theories in biology class, and can be discussed if students ask. Creationism could also be discussed in the high school elective Biblical History.

According to MSNBC, the Supreme Court ruling in 1987 about teaching Creationism held that ""teaching a variety of scientific theories about the origins of humankind might be validly done with the clear secular intent of enhancing the effectiveness of science instruction."

Texas schools are, in fact, better than average, as proven by test scores and objective standard measurement criteria of the US Department of Education. According to Texas Education Agency Commissioner Robert Scott, Texas students are excelling in the sciences: "The 2009 NAEP Science results were impressive, as well. Texas’ African American eighth-grade students earned the highest score in the nation and our Hispanic eighth-grade students were eighth. Only eighth-grade students attending the Department of Defense schools scored higher than Texas’ white students who were tied with white students in Massachusetts. On the fourth-grade test, Texas’ African American students out-performed their peers in every state accept Virginia and those students attending Department of Defense Schools. Texas’ fourth-grade white students were ranked third behind only Virginia and Massachusetts."

The stage mother in this exchange (and perhaps US Education Secretary Arne Duncan) needs to spend some time watching RFD TV or read up on agricultural science to educate herself: there is no physical or biological or genetic science more cutting-edge than that being developed and used in practice by farmers or ranchers who graduated from Texas A&M. While Governor Perry has not practiced in a scientific field in a long time, and he may not have gotten an honorary doctorate, that doesn't change the fact that his mind is trained in the hard sciences.

And as another Christian long ago, Galileo, showed us, science is not made true or nullified by "consensus". Only proofs and objective facts can determine the validity of a scientific theory.

Asked what Texas schools teach about the theory of anthropomorphic global warming, Perry told a New Hampshire teacher ""We teach the straight-out facts in Texas in our schools. You'll have to pick those up in our classbooks."

The LA Times reported that Perry has said "...scientists are coming forward and questioning the original idea that man-made global warming is what is causing the climate to change. Yes, our climate's changed — [it's] been changing ever since the Earth was formed."

Perry said it is not wise to spend billions of dollars on untried programs for an unproven theory: "I don't think, from my perspective, that I want America to be engaged in spending that much money on what is still a scientific theory that hasn't been proven, and from my perspective is more and more being put into question."

While organizations such as the United Nations support global warming schemes for developed nations, adding carbon taxes and carbon restrictions to create a "carbon trading market" that would work the same way today's stock market works, many thousands of traditional climate scientists working in the field, including meteorologists, geophysicists and chemists, have stated unequivocally that "there is no convincing scientific evidence" that human activity is causing or will cause climate change. They state further that "there is substantial scientific evidence that increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide produce many beneficial effects on the natural plant and animal environments of the Earth."

Perry has actively supported alternative energy development: Texas has developed the largest wind-power capacity in the entire United States, and more than most countries. He has worked continually to develop Texas' clean water resources and other essential environmental needs.

Perry said as long ago as 2007 that anthropomorphic global warming has been so politicized as to inhibit rational scientific inquiry: "Virtually every day another scientist leaves the global warming bandwagon. ... But you won't read about that in the press because they have already invested in one side of the story. I'm not saying we shouldn't be good stewards of our environment. We should. I am just saying when politics hijack science, it quells true scientific debate and can have dire consequences for our future."

Perry is willing to maintain a healthy skepticism until all the facts are in.

More importantly, Perry is one of the few candidates who is not willing to "go along with the crowd" in the meantime.

Most importantly of all, Rick Perry is the candidate who will refuse to subject Americans to immediate hardship in the here and now over hypothetical future possibilities.

The age of pretend-calamity is over, because the real calamity is upon us right now.

People need jobs right now, and the predictable governance that will let them build a new future for their families. They are smart enough to figure out for themselves who has a real plan with the right tactics, and who is going to be able to execute that plan to get the job done, and get America working again.

President Obama Overrules Law, Tells Illegals "Come Get Your Green Card"

2011-08-20T11:01:00.000-07:00

President Obama has an interesting approach to the law. He seems to believe he can tell people to just follow imaginary laws he makes up instead of actual laws approved by Congress.

So, since Congress has refused to pass a law allowing foreign nationals extra special rights when they commit crimes like murder and rape in the USA, President Obama tried to tell the Supreme Court they should force Governor Perry to follow the imaginary law that the President thinks Congress should pass.

And now, since Congress has refused to overrule Clinton's 1996 law and refused to pass an Open Borders and Amnesty for All law (aka "The Dream Act" and "Comprehensive Immigration Reform"), President Obama, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, and Attorney General Eric Holder have just taken it on themselves to implement imaginary law and stop deporting illegal aliens unless the person persists in killing people after being told to stop, or made politically incorrect comments that offended the Newsweek subscriber.

And here's a secret preview of the President's new Jobs Jobs Jobs speech from the AP: All the illegal aliens who aren't deported get to apply for a work permit! The President's answer to the jobs program is to import 11 million new workers! What do you bet that he will then claim these as "new jobs created"?

Professor Jacobson at Legal Insurrection writes: "While you weren’t looking, Obama passed immigration amnesty"

"He didn’t pass it through Congress, even though he had overwhelming majorities for almost two years, because there were not enough votes. He also didn’t do it by regulation, because that would take time and be subject to public comment and other messy procedures.

"Instead, Obama simply has issued an internal policy not to deport illegal aliens other than those who have committed some other serious crime....

"This was no mere internal operating procedure or prosecutorial discretion. This was a political decision which came only when the political process had failed to produce the results Obama wanted. Even if you support the substance of the decision, it should worry you that we have a President with such a low regard for the political process."

CNN says the White House is playing politics and hoping no one will notice by picking Friday afternoon in late August right before the President leaves for his vacation, to announce an order they gave in June.

Just in case you aren't old enough to remember what the Democrat Party used to be, and how it used to support the distinction between lawful and unlawful actions, here's a link to some of Congresswoman Barbara Jordan's testimony before the House when she headed the United States Commission on Immigration in 1995, which also found that immigration of unskilled immigrants comes at a cost to unskilled U.S. workers.

The President is obviously ignoring the testimony of experts such as Dr Frank L Morris, Sr, who outlined to Congress in 1995 the adverse effects of uncontrolled immigration on employment of citizens.

The fact is that less than 15 years ago, Congress DID pass "Comprehensive Immigration Reform" and President Bill Clinton signed it into law: "The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996"

It's a good law, or would be if it were being enforced. We don't need a new law : we need new politicians and agency leaders who are willing to enforce the law we have instead of pretending and making up imaginary ones.

Sarah Palin Goes To The Fair: Inspiration From the Original Midwest Bus Tour

2011-08-19T15:30:00.000-07:00

Via Texans for Sarah Palin:

America is the most awesome country! Thank you, Sarah Palin, for telling anyone who wants to listen just how great our everyday world is in the USA.

Words To Think By

2011-08-18T19:01:00.000-07:00

Superior advice from a science blog that's guaranteed to remind you what science is supposed to be. There's no such thing as "settled science", not in climate study, not in genetics, not even when it comes to Neanderthals. But this maxim is applicable to ev.er.y.thing:

Hawks' Paleoanthropology Advice, #1:

"If it's been a while since you looked at it, look again. It may look different. It hasn't changed. You have."

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The Process Is the Thing: The Trans-Texas Corridor, Rick Perry & Good Governance

2011-08-17T18:07:00.000-07:00

It's difficult, I think, to look at any politician and not be disappointed at some point. I always feel a little more comfortable when I know what the flaws are, where the weaknesses are likely, because then I can make a good judgmentcall on whether it's a flaw I can put up with.

Quite Rightly, of the compelling blog Bread Upon the Waters, made a comment that got me thinking about the now-cancelled Trans Texas Corridor and how things have changed since Perry proposed it in January 2001.

I replied briefly, but want to explore my thinking further on this topic, and why I think Perry's handling of the opposition and final public refusal of the project is a positive and healthy sign.

Rather than seeing it as a failed project or a bad idea, I tend to think of it as a model of how "big ideas" should be debated in a Republic: declared with detail in advance, wrestled over openly for a long time, in the
sunshine, with Texas/America's best interest the only goal, and all voices welcome and respected.

In fact, the way Governor Perry and our Texas Legislature handled the Trans-Texas Corridor was by a process exactly the opposite of how President Obama, Representative Nancy Pelosi, and Senator Harry Reid stage-managed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), which was negotiated in secret, written in secret, voted on in secret, and shoved into place in the dead of night in a frenzied marathon after a six months reign of shrill tenor that misrepresented the bill, manipulated the facts, and maligned the
citizenry.

The changes to, and even avoidance of, the legislative process itself are among the most critical departures from normal that the Obama administration and Democratic Supermajority have done. When they abandoned the established rules of predictable governance and removed accountability for their decisions, they became unreliable. Methods used for corporate management or product marketing are not appropriate for effective governance.These new methods, regardless of outcome, are reason for concern: if we cannot trust the system of checks and balances, and the people who inhabit those roles within the system, what might happen next?

We can feel safer from even rotten ideas if we can somehow come back to a point where the process becomes trustworthy again. So, when I look at the political field, that capacity and determination to provide predictable, reliable governance is essential in a candidate. I believe that Governor Rick Perry has both the capacity and the determination, and that his handling of the Corridor project proves that.

Now, about that Corridor.

During the effective life of the Trans-Texas Corridor project, it was opposed mostly by rural land owners. As time passed and more disturbing facts about undercurrents in world events became known to our elected officials as well as to the public, others joined in opposing it. Eventually, the project was abandoned, and will not be resurrected. Governor Perry acceded to the will of the public, as is proper for an elected leader. And in the process, he did not cast undue blame, or dwell on the matter, or try to punish those who opposed it. Instead he behaved like a healthy adult.

To me, the Corridor was an idea of another time and place. America was different then, in January 2001 when the proposal was first announced as a vague idea, and even later, when we still thought perhaps we could "get back to normal". Texas was different, and honestly I expect that Rick Perry was different. He was a young Governor then. I know I've changed my opinions on a number of things as hidden things have come out into the open in the intervening decade.

In hindsight, the Trans-Texas Corridor is a big hurdle for a lot of people. But Texas is known for our highways - we have the best roads in the nation, in part because of visionary planning. Heck, we have a constitutional amendment that protects our highway funds against being used for anything else. Texas has our own electric grid. Texas requires pipelines for water, oil, natural gas. Unlike other states, Texas infrastructure is NOT crumbling, because our leaders have maintained and constructed actively all along to plan for future health of the state and its people.

Horizons are not just something Texans aim for but something we move between.

So it's not hard for me to understand how a project like the TransTexas Corridor fit into the era in which it was first proposed - before Sept 11th, at the height of the tech revolution's wealth and optimism, still feeling the headiness of the millennium, back when most of us still thought most immigrants came here because they wanted to be Americans, and eBay let us trade with the whole wide world from our living rooms.

How many of us - including our leaders - knew in those "before the Fear" (ante-timorem?) days that within a decade we would be where we are now?

As an object lesson, the Trans-Texas Corridor is a good example of how a "Big Dream" should be wrestled with in a feisty democracy - exactly the opposite of how Obamacare was handled. The Texas process allowed everyone their voice and happened in the light of day over a period of years, so that the potential unintended consequences and "unknown unknowns" could come to light.

That's how it is with ideas: they all look like diamonds in the beginning - the fact that some prove to be rust when viewed more closely shouldn't keep our leaders from proposing more new ideas out in the honest open, or from engaging the debate in support, or from being willing to abandon a plan without looking back.

And if our representatives do the right thing, take the peoples' "No" for an answer, and abandon rejected ideas, we should appreciate that.

Just as we should appreciate our representatives who accept the peoples' "Yes" and enforce, fund and support those matters the citizenry have firmly demanded.

The failures, who need to be rejected and sent home as fast as their horse will carry them, are those representatives who refuse to abandon ideas the populous have rejected, and keep trying to sneak them in anyway; or who refuse to defend or enforce the law as it stands just because they personally or a coterie of interest groups don't like it.

We elect people to stand in our place, and look after our interests. In the process of doing that well, a good leader had better make a few errors or he isn't doing enough.

So, I say, let us respect the honest man who learns from his mistakes. Let's not browbeat anyone for being open minded enough to realize and admit when they were wrong.

The man who moves so carefully as to never get it wrong probably lacks the courage to ever get it truly right.

(PS, wanting to get this posted - I will be adding links along as I find them to flesh out the references)

Rick Perry is In: No More Vacuum on the Republican Side of the Presidential Race

2011-08-14T18:19:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of people who make superior governors, congressional representatives or senators, but who are not presidential timber - at least not in the current climate. Tim Pawlenty has just stepped aside from the presidential race. I admire Herman Cain and hope he will do well this go round, perhaps building toward a successful candidacy later on (or a senate run - Cain would be a top notch Senator), but he's missing the crucial "head of government" experience that I believe voters will require for the next couple of decades.

Now that Rick Perry has stepped up to the plate, we have a candidate to get excited about. I'm thrilled, and yesterday was a zippity doo dah day here: we got 2 1/2" of glorious rain, and Governor Perry announced with an amazing and inspiring speech.

Perry has been a truly good governor. He represents everybody, and pretty much he's a WYSIWYG kind of man. He believes what he says, and he stands up fearlessly for what he believes. He has a sense of humor, and doesn't take himself too seriously. He can look after himself, and has no pity for evil men who harm innocent people.

He's an unapologetic Christian, and willing to show it.

He used to be a conservative Democrat, like me and a whole bunch of other Texans. In 1989, he walked over to the Republican bench. So did many of us in response when the Democrat Party finally went insane after the 2000 elections. He puts his values and his State before any party. [8/16 Correction: My badly constructed sentence originally implied Perry became a Republican in 2000. Edited to clarify.]

He knows there's a solution to every problem and thinks outside the box. Every once in a while he's had a boneheaded idea, but once the electorate clarified that for him, he was willing to take "no" for an answer from the citizenry. He's not still trying to sneak those things in under cover of something else, like so many politicians. That's humility at work.

Rick Perry really likes people, and has friends among all sorts. He can talk with anyone because he's really interested in the person. When he went to Los Angeles in June to speak at a "United For Life" event raising funds for a new women's clinic, the mostly Hispanic crowd of 5,000 gave him a standing ovation.

Rick Perry will be our next President. I've only one possible caveat, and that would be a Sarah Palin candidacy.

If Sarah Palin should decide to run this year, how cool would that be to have TWO fabulous candidates, both of whom would represent Real America, from which to choose?

That's what our elections are supposed to be about: about choosing the best of a great lot. It gives me renewed hope to know we still have such people with the courage to run.

Governor Palin is the only person who can compete with Governor Perry, but as I have posted elsewhere, I've long had a suspicion that she was waiting to make certain the candidate void was filled before issuing a final decision - and now that Perry has agreed to run, it may no longer be essential that she do so this year.

(In fact, and I have nothing to base this on but a gut feeling, I would not be surprised to learn years from now that Palin, Perry, and Trump have coordinated for some time.)

My thinking about Sarah Palin as a leader is that she works on the shortest distance between two points. I believe her current goal is to help us restore the US federal government on a broad spectrum to trustworthy representation for America's future wellbeing, and that doesn't stop with the presidency, in fact it doesn't even start there. As the debt limit capitulation showed, the rehabilitation of Congress has only just begun.

So, I believe that whether she decides to run for President or not will depend on whether she & Todd feel she can best accomplish these things from within the oval office, or whether with Perry firmly holding the fort there, she would then be free to turn her remarkable skills of influence toward other essential steps.

Sarah Palin's campaign has already started, and is moving along famously. The question now is which campaign it is!

~~~

8/16 UPDATE: I've added a few links to this post that lead to good information about important questions, and will add more from time to time.

RAIN!!!!! HALLELUJAH!!!

2011-08-13T08:13:00.000-07:00

"The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none." Deuteronomy 28:12

Radar Map via WFAA.com

We are receiving the loveliest rain today through a large swath of Northern and Central Texas.
Thank you Father God for sending the rain to water the land! We are grateful for your bounty.

This follows on Thursday's (Aug 11) West Texas rain, when San Angelo received nearly 1/2" of rain, the first moisture they've had since June.

The state of affairs in our drought is becoming dire. Texas lands, plant and animal life and wildlife, cities and towns suffer not only the catastrophic lack of rain, but also from record constant high temperatures that have been so extreme as to make the rare 98 degree day feel like a cool spell.

The Colorado River Municipal Water District, which provides water to most Permian Basin cities, including Midland, Odessa, Big Spring, Snyder, is implementing waste-water reclamation to enable sewage water to be purified for use as household and drinking water.

Robert Lee, Texas, is fast running out of any water at all, down to 1% of its normal water supply from nearly dry Lake E.V.Spence. Anxious to run new water pipelines to bring water from nearby Bronte, environmental and regulatory permitting is still up in the air.

Kemp, Texas has no water at all temporarily, until the city can repair damaged pipes and refill its empty water towers.

Brown County, in Central Texas, has had water use restrictions since mid-June, and has anticipated moving to Stage 3 restrictions within the next couple of weeks (unless this lovely rain continues to spill out of the heavens).

Even Dallas, normally secure from water limitations thanks to its location in North Texas, has implemented use restrictions, setting up watering schedules on an odd/even basis.

Please join with us in continuing grateful prayers for the rain we receive, and asking God's favor to speed the end of the drought.

8/13/11 PM UPDATE: So far today we've received about 2 and 1/2 inches of rain in a nice slow steady downpour that lasted all morning and into the afternoon, and I hear that Brownwood received about the same. What a lift it is to everyone's spirits! This is an optimistic part of the country, and people try to stay cheery, but the long weeks of heat and absence of rain was beginning to wear on everyone. This bit of rain today will give encouragement to tide us over even if the drought is not over yet (some predictions say it could last another year, since we seem to be moving into a second La Nina cycle).

8/14/11 PM UPDATE: We had another lovely rain late this afternoon. It began raining here before we left for a gathering in town and rained hard all the way through our 15 mile drive. I haven't heard how much total yet but it was certainly welcomed. God is Good, all the time.

Boutique Abortion: Some Terrible Truths Within Fertility Treatment Today

2011-08-11T19:19:00.000-07:00

Before we talk about the newest nightmare trick in the abortionists' toolkit, let me say this:

Any woman who was beguiled or deluded into having an abortion and now recognizes the magnitude of what she has done deserves loving, forgiving and restorative care. She deserves to have her anguish respected, her grief understood, and finally, her tears dried with compassion. She deserves to know Jesus forgave her the moment she first asked Him to, and that everything really can be ok again.

And any woman or girl who has had an abortion in her youth because she felt she had no other choice and still believes she had no other option because of the way things were at that time, I will not condemn or judge. There are things we know now that we didn't know then.

But.

But there are other kinds of women out there: there are those for whom abortion and children are interchangable as style choices, prioritized on their 5 year plan for social enhancement.

Politicaljunkie Mom's post "Infanticide by any other name: The Two-Minus-One Pregnancy" shares her just and righteous outrage over the events revealed in an article that opens the door on a particularly modern evil insidiously referred to as "twin reduction" and "reduced gestation".

A New York Times lifestyle feature interviews an assortment of affluent women who had fertility treatments resulting in successful transfer of fertilized eggs (in some cases, with donated eggs) so that they became pregnant.

With twins. And had abortions against one of the twins because twins didn't fit their vision for motherhood.

"Undergoing reduction to a singleton". Each woman must have thought their narrative of rationalization sounded sane, civil, and sustainable when they were dreaming it up in the isolated hothouse of their social hierarchy.

In truth, the stories they tell are terrifying and grotesque caricatures of motherhood. Poles apart from nurturing, these are tales of I want, of I control, of "I alone".

Haunted by legitimate and healthy guilt for taking a life, the women deny culpability and instead ascribe their feelings to others: blaming "outsiders", "the stigma" against boutique abortion, "lack of support", fear of "being treated with disdain". They "resent" being "rebuffed" by ethical physicians who refused to abort one twin, and don't want to "feel the sting of their judgment".

What is it that can cause a person to declare it is better never to have been born, than to risk "becoming a second-rate parent"?

It must be a terrible thing for a woman to be so lacking in empathy as to think it better to deny life to an infant so she can hide from the world her unwillingness to be his mom, than to bravely carry the child to term and allow an eager and loving family the joy of adopting him.

But before we despair, read the comments. No less than nine pages of comments show that in this matter, even solidly "Pro-Choice" women understand the wisdom of Solomon, and see the pathology these females confuse with sophistication.

In fact, the almost unanimous revulsion of the commenters, who persistently begin by saying they 'support legal abortion but', is a very hopeful sign. It indicates they are seeing and opening their minds to think past the creed recited by rote.

In general, these commenters are like most people who think legal abortion is something necessary in an imperfect world: their support has come from a desire to be caring and kind. But in the case of "twin reduction", the commenters see this "choice" for what it is. They discover there are limits to their support. And when the chips are down, they do the right thing. They choose to stand on the side of life.

~~~
Aug 13 UPDATE: Rachel Abrams comes down hard against the atrocity of "twin reduction" in her blog post "Mengele Lives! (In the Pages of the New York Times)" . And she points clearly at the intentional dishonest use of euphemism as a primary tool in the furtherance of evil:
" That “needle into the other one” is a legacy bequeathed to the editors of New York Times, to their authors, and to their readers by the great heroine of feminists, mother of Planned Parenthood, and eugenicist Margaret Sanger, by way of Josef Mengele. The casual, unquestioning linguistic capitulation to it is a kind of depravity, and not fit to print. "

Read it all here.

End of Update.
~~~~

A note in closing to whomever it may concern:

Oh Honey, if you have had an abortion, and in your heart of hearts you now understand, you CAN be forgiven and pardoned. You need not hide this shame forever. (And you do NOT have to make it public: do not confess to your husband or your children unless they already know - speak first to a counselor, or biblically faithful minister or priest.)

Your baby in Heaven loves you and forgave you long ago. Everything instantly became all better from the moment you asked God to forgive you. Our Father is that Good to us.

Sometimes a heart has to be broken open to release all the love that's in it to pour out onto the people who need us.

That's why Jesus came and died for us - so that it CAN be ok again. There will come a time when we will understand, and we will see then that all this suffering will prove to have been worth it.

YOU are worth it. Jesus loves you, and you are precious. ""Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart ..." You are STILL that person, and God STILL has a plan for good in your life. Your future is essential to our good world, and you can come out of where you've been, into the joyous sunlight.

`

Some Safety Recommendations in Case of a Flash Mob or Riot

2011-08-10T03:46:00.000-07:00

I can't imagine how frightened people all over Great Britain - and in some US cities - must be right now. They are in our prayers and our thoughts.

I am no expert in safety or security, but my first questions when considering a dangerous situation are "What do I do?" "How do I protect myself and others? What will minimize damage or injury? That's how I get a head start on overcoming fear to be sure I can take immediate action in an emergency.

I've never before considered what to do if a flash mob should erupt. I didn't find a lot in my searches, but here are some articles about protecting oneself from violence during riots that may be useful to help people prepare themselves in advance.

If anyone has links to expert or official advice and instructions for keeping safe in times of civil unrest, please add them in the comments.

wikiHow's "How to Survive a Riot" in the Travel Safety & Security category seems to offer VERY useful advice, pointing out that "riots can break out anywhere", noting that angry mobs have rioted after "college tuition increases, soccer games, institutionalized oppression, death caused by police, editorial cartoons, and a movie star's death". The article lists 8 steps, with detailed notes under each. Below are condensed excerpts:

1. Be prepared. If you know an area is ripe for a riot but you can't avoid traveling there, take some simple precautions to help protect yourself.
*First, be prepared for the worst; the unexpected can happen at any moment. Crowds are dangerous when they're in an ugly mood and normally placid people can turn frenzied just by being in the presence of other frenzied people.
*Wear dark clothes that minimize the amount of exposed skin when going out. Do not wear clothing that could be interpreted as military or police wear in any way; avoid wearing anything that looks like a uniform.
*Take a motorcycle helmet with you. If bricks or other large items are being thrown about, at least you protect your vulnerable head.
2. Remain calm. ... Avoid confrontation by keeping your head down.
# Walk at all times. If you run or move too quickly, you might attract unwanted attention.
3. Get inside and stay inside. Typically riots occur in the streets or elsewhere outside. Being inside, especially in a large, sturdy structure, can be your best protection to weather the storm. [B]e on the lookout for signs of fire. If the building is set on fire get out quickly.
4. Stay on the sidelines. If you're caught up in a riot, don't take sides.
*Try to look as inconspicuous as possible, and slowly and carefully move to the outside of the mob.
*Stay close to walls or other protective barriers if possible but try to avoid bottlenecks.
5. If you're caught up in a car, stay calm. Remain inside the car unless your car becomes a focus for the riot, in which case it risks being torched, smashed or rolled over. Calmly and swiftly leave it behind and get to safety if that happens.
6. Use the social media to alert you as to where to stay away from.
7. Avoid being hit by riot control chemicals or weapons.
8. Move away from the riot. ....in most circumstances it's better to move out of a riot slowly.
* If you run, you will draw attention to yourself, so it's usually best to walk.
* It can also be dangerous to move against a crowd, so go with the flow until you are able to escape into a doorway or up a side street or alley.

The article also includes lists of tips and warnings. Be sure to read it all at wikiHow. There's a related article on wikiHow titled "How to Avoid Danger During Civil Unrest" that offers useful advice as well.

The Travel Safety Hub on WorldNomads article "Safety Advice: What to do about Political instability" from 2008 lists recommendations for avoidingdemonstrations and keeping safe during disturbances, including:

If caught in a civil disturbance
* If you find yourself caught up in a demonstration keep to the edge of the crowd where it is safer. Try not to be identified as being one of the demonstrators by keeping well away from the leaders/agitators
* At the first opportunity break away and seek refuge in a nearby building or find a suitable doorway or alley and stay there until the crowd passes
* When leaving the fringe of the demonstration just walk away – don’t run as this will draw attention to you
* In the event that you are arrested by the police/military do not resist. Go along peacefully and rather contact red24 or your embassy to help you resolve your predicament
* If you are caught up in the crowd, stay clear of glass shop fronts, stay on your feet and move with the flow
* If you are swept along in the crush, create a space for yourself by grasping your wrists and bracing your elbows away from your sides; bend over slightly – this should allow you breathing room
* If pushed to the ground, try to get against a wall and roll yourself into a tight ball and cover your head with your hands until the crowd passes
* Remember to keep calm – the crowd should sweep past in a short space of time
* If shooting breaks out, drop to the ground and cover your head and neck, and lie as flat as you can "

This article from last year on a progressive/liberal website describes how one couple used Twitter to track a mob's movement and to attempt to build a counter-stream of re-tweets urging calm: "How the Twittersphere Helped Keep Oakland Safe During Riots"

Here are two articles from the Christian Science Monitor on how social media can draw a crowd - or a mob:
Social media mayhem: when flash mobs go from benign to malign `includes a girl who used Facebook to invite her friends to her birthday party - and 1,600 people came to her house.
'Flash robs': How Twitter is being twisted for criminal gain' outlines how gangs of dozens are scheduling shoplifting events and other criminal activities.

Our community Neighborhood Watch programs and Volunteer Fire Departments are good places to start working with our local authorities and first responders to plan ahead to help our communities avoid or respond quickly, firmly and effectively to these kinds of events.

So Now I've Written a Letter to the Associated Press

2011-08-08T19:15:00.000-07:00

Have you ever written to the AP news agency? I hadn't, until just now.

The Associated Press Statement of News Values and Principles is a fine document. It states, in part "But always and in all media, we insist on the highest standards of integrity and ethical behavior when we gather and deliver the news. That means we abhor inaccuracies, carelessness, bias or distortions."

So when I saw a distortion in an article tonight, I wrote a letter to the AP to ask them to correct it.

Here's my letter. Tell me what you think?

*****************************

Hello,

Thank you in advance for helping me with a troublesome matter. I appreciate your time and effort. Is this the best address to use to request a change in use of a descriptive word?

Two stories are running tonight that may be found here: http://apnews.myway.com/article/20110809/D9P07TEG0.html   and here: http://apnews.myway.com//article/20110808/D9P077F00.html
The main story is: "London burns: Riots spread through UK capital city, Aug 8, 7:39 PM (ET),
By DAVID STRINGER and RAPHAEL G. SATTER , Jill Lawless, Meera Selva, Stephen Wilson and Dancia Kirka contributed to this report. "

Both versions contain the following sentences:

""This is the uprising of the working class, we're redistributing the wealth," said Bryn Phillips, a 28-year-old self-described anarchist, as young people emerged from the store with chocolate bars and ice cream cones.

"Phillips claimed rioters were motivated by distrust of the police, and drew a link between the rage on London's street and insurgent right-wing politics in the United States. "In America you have the tea party, in England you've got this," he said. "

The use of the word "insurgent' by the authors to describe the Tea Party or "right-wing politics" in the United States is not only inaccurate, but it is inappropriate, inflammatory and unwise. The word "insurgent" is used currently by the US military to describe our opponents in Iraq & Afghanistan. It is wholly inappropriate to use such a word to label a simple political fiscal disagreement handled lawfully through ordinary established political channels.

The source (Phillips) being quoted may have drawn a comparison with his blunt statement, but he did not use the word "insurgent". Further, his statement required no elucidation for readers to understand it.   Thus the use of this word originated with the authors and reflects a highly unprofessional bias in making this false connection between rampaging young thugs burning buildings in Britain, and legitimate statements of orthodox opinions by voters and elected officials in the United States.

The AP is a trusted source of pure news, and has served people of all political, social, and fiscal viewpoints with great distinction. It deeply concerns me to see an article betraying such a lack of respect for simple communication ethics under the banner of the AP.

If you would please forward this to the editor who can address this matter, I would greatly appreciate it. Also, if there is a better address for me to use in future, please apprise.

Thank you very much for your time and attention.

/ signed/

*************

The AP email address is here.

I was Planning to Write about Community Prayer....

2011-08-07T12:15:00.000-07:00

I was planning to post about the different events that marked the August 6 Texas Day of Prayer and Fasting proclaimed by Governor Rick Perry. While protesters against 'The Response' earned pretty much all the New Greek Chorus coverage, it was not in any way the only event supporting Christian solemn prayer for the day.

I thought I'd follow up on not only the number of attendees in Houston, but also the streaming connections, about how we first joined others locally in our coliseum for silent public repentance and prayer in a come-and-go event that continued all day (and that did not stream the Houston service, so is not counted in any official lists), how we then streamed The Response from home and together made intentional prayers for the rest of the day, how churches in other towns opened their doors for people to participate together.

I thought I would write about how all of these somber displays of faith and obedience to Jesus our Lord were made by individual people of sincere good will, who humbled ourselves to ask God's forgiveness for OUR OWN sins.

Humble, individual people of all backgrounds and walks of life, all of sincere good will, who lovingly asked God's help in hard times for our children seeking work, for our poor parched land, our cattle and fruit trees, for young and old struggling with uncertainty and financial insecurity, for our President and his family and government leaders without regard to politics or position.

Compassionate individual people of all ages and nations, of all backgrounds and walks of life, all of sincere good will, who courageously stood in public and confessed our full faith in God our Father, in the Holy Spirit the Comforter, and despite the ridicule we might face as a result, called upon our Savior Jesus Christ by name.

Grateful individual people of all ages and nations, of all backgrounds and walks of life, all of sincere good will, who were heartened and cheered in these troubled times to come together and pour out our hearts to Jesus.

I was planning to write about the graceful confidence such a designated day of focused and public prayer gave us all. About the strength we drew from constant intercession to go foward with renewed hope.

I was planning to write about the beauty of holiness that covered the day.

I was planning to write about these things and some other things, to help counter some of the misunderstanding, but then I remembered that scripture talks about this: 1 Corinthians 2:10-16: "The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit."

And I remembered what Jesus said in Matthew 11:25: "At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children."

So, let this just be here to say thank you to all those who prayed along with us yesterday. Not in any way especially, but most certainly including, Governor Perry, who got the ball rolling for it. May God bless you all.

TODAY 8/6 The Response Call to Prayer For A Nation In Crisis

2011-08-06T03:51:00.000-07:00

(UPDATE Sunday, Aug 7: Follow-up post for this event is here: "I was Planning to Write about Community Prayer..." )
........
Original Post:

O Lord our God, "Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.” -Psalm 119:160

Texas Governor Rick Perry will pray at this Day of Christian Prayer and Fasting. He has invited the governors of all other states to join him and the other Christians of all denominations who with gather in Houston today for the express purpose of following the tenets of our Christian faith and the Lord's instructions, to "call upon Jesus to guide us through unprecedented struggles, and thank Him for the blessings of freedom we so richly enjoy according to His grace, mercy, and kindness towards us."

Governor Perry told CBN News "I'm going to be praying for our country's economic prosperity." "There's just so many people that can't take care of their family because government's over taxed, over regulated, over litigated and caused roadblocks to economic prosperity -- and I don't see any relief in sight," he said.

When Christians pray in an event such as this, humility is one of the factors: publicly acknowledging our sins and transgressions, by publicly acknowledging our need for and reliance on God. Governor Perry has also said "This is me, just me, private citizen Rick Perry," he said. "As I take that stage, yeah, I'm going to be the governor of Texas, but this is about me and God."

The biblical authority for coming together as a nation in prayer is found in Joel 2:12-17 ""Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly."and in 2 Chronicles 7:14 " If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

The Response will be streamed live and many churches around the country plan to broadcast it on their screens. Streaming starts at 9:00 am today, Saturday morning, and the event itself begins at 10:00 am. It will continue until 5:00 pm.

I plan to watch, spending my day in prayer for our troubled nation, and in thanksgiving to Jesus.

HERE is the link to registration (it is free). You can access the main live webcast here: The Response Live Web Stream. You may need to register in order to view it. There is a schedule and prayer guide in that can be downloaded here: PDF document link.

If you are unable to gather with others or access the internet, the Psalms are a good place to start, and
some of the historic prayers offered by America's presidents may provide a model for our own prayer and Bible readings. The full texts given by the Response can be found here (scroll down). Excerpts:

On March 23, 1798, President John Adams declared a national day of humility, fasting and prayer:
That the citizens of these States, abstaining on that day from their customary worldly occupations, offer their devout addresses to the Father of Mercies... with the deepest humility, acknowledge before God the manifold sins and transgressions with which we are justly chargeable as individuals and as a nation, beseeching Him at the same time, of His infinite grace, through the Redeemer of the World, freely to remit all our offenses, and to incline us by His Holy Spirit to that sincere repentance and reformation which may afford us reason to hope for His inestimable favor and heavenly benediction.

On April 13, 1841, President John Tyler declared a national day of fasting upon the death of President William Harrison: When a Christian people feel themselves to be overtaken by a great public calamity, it becomes them to humble themselves under the dispensation of Divine Providence, to recognize His righteous government over the children of men, to acknowledge His goodness in time past, as well as their own unworthiness, and to supplicate His merciful protection for the future...to impress all minds with a sense of the uncertainty of human things and of the dependence of nations, as well as individuals, upon our Heavenly Parent... We may all with one accord join in humble and reverential approach to Him in whose hands we are, invoking Him to inspire us with a proper spirit and temper of heart and mind under these frowns of His providence and still to bestow His gracious benedictions upon our Government and our country.

On March 16, 1776, the Continental Congress passed without dissent a resolution presented by General William Livingston declaring: Congress....desirous...to have people of all ranks and degrees duly impressed with a solemn sense of God’s superintending providence, and of their duty, devoutly to rely...on his aid and direction...do earnestly recommend Friday, the 17th day of May be observed by the colonies as a Day of Humiliation, Fasting and Prayer; that we may, with united hearts, confess and bewail our manifold sins and transgressions, and, by sincere repentance and amendment of life, appease God’s righteous displeasure, and, through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, obtain this pardon and forgiveness.

On June 14, 1783, George Washington wrote a prayer to governors of the newly freed states on disbanding army. On the plaque in St. Paul's Chapel, NY, and Pohick Church, VA, where Washington was vestryman 1762-84: Almighty God; We make our earnest prayer that Thou wilt keep the United States in Thy Holy protection; and Thou wilt incline the hearts of the Citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to Government; and entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another and for their fellow Citizens of the United States at large, and particularly for their brethren who have served in the Field. And finally that Thou wilt most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that Charity, humility, and pacific temper of mind which were the Characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed Religion, and without a humble imitation of whose example in these things we can never hope to be a happy nation. Grant our supplication, we beseech Thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

On April 15, 1775, just four days before the Battle of Lexington, the Massachusetts Provincial Congress, led by John Hancock, declared: In circumstances dark as these, it becomes us, as men and Christians, to reflect that, whilst every prudent measure should be taken to ward off the impending judgments...the 11th of May next be set apart as a Day of Public Humiliation, Fasting and Prayer...to confess the sins...to implore the Forgiveness of all our Transgression.

On April 19, 1775, in a Proclamation of a Day of Fasting and Prayer, Connecticut Governor Jonathan Trumbull beseeched that: God would graciously pour out His Holy Spirit on us to bring us to a thorough repentance and effectual reformation that our iniquities may not be our ruin; that He would restore, preserve and secure the liberties of this and all the other British American colonies, and make the land a mountain of Holiness, and habitation of righteousness forever.

On June 12, 1775, less than two months after the Battles of Lexington and Concord, where was fired “the shot heard ‘round the world,” the Continental Congress, under President John Hancock, declared: Congress...considering the present critical, alarming and calamitous state...do earnestly recommend, that Thursday, the 12th of July next, be observed by the inhabitants of all the English Colonies on this Continent, as a Day of Public Humiliation, Fasting and Prayer, that we may with united hearts and voices, unfeignedly confess and deplore our many sins and offer up our joint supplications to the Allwise, Omnipotent and merciful Disposer of all Events, humbly beseeching Him to forgive our iniquities...It is recommended to Christians of all denominations to assemble for public worship and to abstain from servile labor and recreations of said day.

May God bless you and this day.

May God Bless America

Remember The Oil Bust! A Whole Bunch of Lessons Texas Learned From, and Washington Still Wants To Deny

2011-08-05T19:45:00.000-07:00

Another post I never got around to putting up:

Video News Report From 1986:

One reason Texas has done better than the general country , specifically in the housing and mortgage and banking mess, is because Texas went through some of this in the 1980s.

Darned near everyone in the state from suits to nuts went bankrupt and foreclosed in the Oil Bust. Unemployment went through the roof and the insane housing prices of the Boom fell through the floor.

Geologists hired on as janitors. Iowa filled back up when all its welders went home. Odessa looked like "The Day After" in large swaths for years, as empty apartment buildings and half-finished condos sat abandoned.. So many newcomers to the boom turned right around and left the state in the bust that it took decades before demand finally began catch up with the housing supply.

And good hardworking frugal people who had lost their jobs, also lost their homes and their cars and everything except all the things that matter.

What did the rest of the country do? Instead of supporting the need to free America from the tyranny of the Arab oil price manipulations, Congress levied Windfall Profits Taxes (actually Excise taxes - taxing not profit but production) on American oil producers, effectively making it impossible for them to compete with OPEC.

People think their mortgages are underwater now? Try that same mortgage with a 12% interest rate. All people could do, who wanted to keep their homes, was stay put and pay it down. And that took decades, because values were allowed to settle back to legitimate supply/demand pricing.

The govenment didn't come in and artificially prop up values, and taxing entities had no choice but to reduce their expenses and deal with it.

So those who could still pay their mortgage, because they were buying a home to live their life in - not an "investment" - paid it, and paid extra on the principle, and refinanced as soon as they could, and waited and waited and waited it out.

Those who couldn't pay their bills moved into rental housing, declared bankruptcy, wept, then wiped their tears and carried on their lives.

Then when things were better again, in 2000, Enron happened, and its retirees and employees, most of whom had their 401k's invested heavily in Enron stock, lost it all. Those still working lost their jobs along with all their retirement savings, of course.

They had to pick up and go on.

And they did.

And it was hard, but they never gave up.

That's what Texans do. That's what Americans do.

And that's what Americans are going to do now.

.

"Tea Hatred": The Left's Reaction When Faced With Honest Politicians

2011-08-04T20:46:00.000-07:00

In "Tea Hatred", Christopher Taylor rounds up heretofore-unimaginable quotations from the bizarre wilding mob that is speaking for the Democrat Party these days, then analyzes just why the progressives' communal reaction is so extreme.

His post opens with a solid reference list of dozens of outrageous statements by people who've dropped any attempt at pretense. There's also a marvelous snippet about the good character of the House Freshmen, and you can read it all at Word Around The Net.

When he gets to the meat and potatoes, his concise description of the tea party phenomenon is right on point - and both parties need to pay attention:

"And this was a major miscalculation by the Democrats, as I've written about in the past. They thought America loved them and their leftist extreme ideas in 2006 and 2008. They were wrong: America was sick of the Republican overspending, overextending the government, arrogance, and not listening to the voters. So what did the Democrats do when they got into power? Became even more arrogant, insulting the voters, expanding the government even more and spending even more. Finally the ordinary voter said "I've had enough, it didn't work to throw the GOP out of office, here's where I draw the line"

"And out came the tricorn hats, the Gadsden flags, the hand-made signs, and the grim determination to change it all. And that drives the left berserk."

Read the Rest...

Whom Would Jesus Sell into Debt Slavery?

2011-08-03T04:23:00.000-07:00

Via The Kraalspace's (linked from my sidebar) own sidebar link to The Bovina Bloviator, who blogs about "Charity and Debt", this article by Dr. Timothy Dalrymple, who crystalizes the Washington Debt as immoral, and introduces Christians For A Sustainable Economy in his article "Whom Would Jesus Indebt?"

I haven't taken time this morning to research Dr Dalrymple or his group, but the points he makes here are crucial to understanding why the misplaced priorities in social spending endanger the poor more than anyone. Excerpts (emphasis added):

"One of the gravest dangers of the Budget Control Act passed yesterday is that it could provide Americans with a false sense of security. ...Not only are we deep in the dark heart of the forest, but we’re still walking in the wrong direction. The pace may have slowed, but the trajectory has not. The immediate cash-flow crisis has passed, but the long-term solvency crisis remains.

"We are still borrowing enormous amounts of money, still selling our children into debt slavery through our own spending insanity. ...

"Too many anti-poverty programs are beneficial for the politicians that pass them, and veritable boondoggles for the government bureaucracy that administers them, but they actually serve to rob the poor of their dignity and their initiative, they undermine the family structures that help the poor build prosperous lives, and ultimately mire the poor in poverty for generations. Does anyone actually believe that the welfare state has served the poor well?

"It is immoral to ignore the needs of the least of these. But it’s also immoral to ’serve’ the poor in ways that only make more people poor, and trap them in poverty longer. And it’s immoral to amass a mountain of debt that we will pass on to later generations. I even believe it’s immoral to feed the government’s spending addiction....."

Go here and read it all.

Have Fairy Potters Been in My Garden? A Wonder From One of God's Little Creatures

2011-08-02T17:43:00.000-07:00

One of my earliest collections, when I was a little kid, was miniature pitchers. The two white porcelain ones near the front of this photo were in our little shoebox of playthings at Big Grandmother's house from my tiniest days. One is actually a doll's sugar bowl but it had lost one handle long before I came along. The dark pewter one just behind them (and in front of the Holy Bible) was the first antique I bought for myself, when I was about 9. It is very old, and until Sunday was the smallest of miniature pots in my collection.

On Sunday, I added a new pot, so tiny and fragile that it is protected in the clear glass jar to the right of the peach pit basket.

Let's open the jar and see. It doesn't look like much in there, does it?

Ah. That's better. It looks for all the world like the seed pots that studio potters were so fond of in the 1970s. Except it is so tiny it makes a penny look large.

I found this little pot a couple of weeks ago. On a geranium leaf in the side yard!

A tiny mud pot, as round as one coil-built of clay, tapering to a slender neck and finished off with oh so thin and fragile flaring rim.

At the time I found it, the neck was still open, as though it were a vase waiting for a flower. But I knew that it wasn't, even though I'd never seen this before. So finely made that it might be at home with one of Rose Cabat's Feelie Pots, this was not made by human hands.

It was, instead, the home of a tiny creature. When I went back to check on it a few days later, the hole in the neck had been sealed up. So I just waited.

On Sunday, the side of the vase had been broken open and the small creature had moved on to the next phase of its life. So I carefully picked up the tiny pot and brought it inside.

With the opening in the side, it now looks something like the crockery bottle birdhouses that the Prichards' make at the Luling Icehouse Pottery ( They are a warm and friendly couple - we bought birdhouses from them for our gift shop when we lived on the coast ).

Wow I love the internet. I used to have an enormous library of references on all kinds of subjects, and it was a labor of love to spend hours searching through various volumes to try to find an answer. But sometimes I just didn't have the right book to find it. That's where Yahoo search and Texas A&M's amazing online resources come in.

In just a couple of minutes, I learned this little pot is made by the Potter Wasp as a cradle for its next generation. It's scientific name is (Order) Hymenoptera: (Species or Family) Vespidae: (subfamily) Eumeninae.

We've had blue-black mud daubers (aka dirt daubers) everywhere I've ever lived. They are a harmless - actually beneficial - wasp that does not sting so I leave them alone, but their houses are not very attractive.

The Potter Wasp is kinfolk to the dirt daubers, a small, solitary wasp that can sting but usually won't. It sounds like it keeps to itself, so maybe that's why I haven't seen it before.

From lightning bugs to butterflies to potter wasps, is it any wonder people once believed in fairies?

Pottery is one of the oldest arts of mankind. And throughout the Bible, God's relationship with man is referred to as that of The Potter to the clay. Even the anthropological history and linguistics identify Man with the clay, and God with The Potter.

The shared attributes of various creatures, even down to the need for a home, points to the maker's mark. Some creatures are more simple, some complex, but a single Creator.

The infinite variety of God's creatures is so amazing. There are wonders everywhere we look, if we pay attention.

Be of Good Cheer! All Shall Be Well.

2011-07-31T11:38:00.000-07:00

Here's another of those posts that gets mostly finished but I never get around to posting:

"Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me."

The thing about living in a Christian culture - and America is still and has always been a Christian culture - is that it colors the way we see the world, in ways we might not even realize. One need not believe in order to benefit from it. In fact, those who don't believe, or who think they don't believe, may be even more prone to not realize just how much of the good in the modern world is a direct result of Christianity, and of American Christianity in particular.

One of these influences is an understanding that things get better. God holds the American people in His hands, and He may shake things sometimes, or allow things to be shaken, but there's always a higher purpose and a better result.

Christians are optimists, there is no fatalism in our religion. Christians believe passionately in change, and that our faith in Jesus empowers change in the way our society works, by making changes in the way we as individuals approach life each day. This is what Christian Conservatism is - not becoming more "tolerant" but instead becoming knowledgeable and more optimistic!

The "American Optimism" is in fact a Christian Optimism: a view of life based on a security of being personally loved by and important to God, being intellectually and emotionally empowered by God, and having a specific mission to share that good news with every people in the world.

This overwhelming sense that all people are equal in God's sight, that it's our responsibility to help those we encounter who ask for our help, that things can and should be better for every person, and that we have the power to help make it so, has been achieved only in Christian cultures. But it wasn't achieved by government mandate - the impetus came from the pulpit and the Sunday School room: it came from The Bible, the Unchanging Word of God.

Christians know that things will get better, because that is God's promise to us again and again and unceasingly again in The Bible, that the things of the world shall pass away but the things of the spirit shall live - and shall live more abundantly.

God keeps His promises. He has fulfilled so many, He has glorified His name and He tells us that He will glorify it.

Be of good cheer. All is in God's hands. He may be calling us to GET UP and do the task our hands find to do, but He has promised beauty for ashes, plans to bring YOU hope, and a future.

So be of good cheer. Whatever Congress does or doesn't do, let it go for today. All shall be well. Let's enjoy the day today!

-------------

A great way to get cheered up is at Bread upon the Waters, where Miss QR has posted one of the happiest songs there is: "I Saw the Light -- Sunday Skiffle with Brother Sonny". Go have a listen! And if you like what you hear, check out her other Sunday posts for more great music.

Mr Bush and The Children: The President Who Did The Right Thing Even When No One Was Looking

2011-07-29T19:51:00.000-07:00

Reuters ran this headline yesterday: "Bush explains slow reaction to September 11 attacks: Former President George W. Bush says his apparent lack of reaction to the first news of the September 11 2001 attacks was a conscious decision to project an aura of calm in a crisis."

If I recall correctly, at the time no one criticized, but instead the media rightly praised Mr Bush's quick thinking in continuing to read the storybook to a group of little children, wrapping up calmly so as not to frighten them unduly, and waiting until he had left the classroom before switching into the take-charge crisis mode as Commander in Chief.

Regardless, I never questioned the wisdom or validity of his very-appropriate response, because I already knew, from experience, how patient and caring Mr Bush is toward children. He respects them, listens to them, and treats them kindly.

I blogged last year about my young son's encounter with then-Governor Bush in this post:

The Kids and the Future President of the United States
"Some years ago, when George W Bush was Governor of Texas, we lived in a neighborhood in Midland near Laura's family. It is an ordinary middle-class neighborhood, a few blocks from where the elder Bush's lived when George was a child. When George and Laura came to visit their family, he sometimes took walks, alone, around the quiet streets. Back then, he didn't need the Secret Service to shadow him."

Go to the original post to read it all, and find out why I will always think of Mr Bush as "the President who did the right thing even when nobody was looking."
________

7/31 UPDATE: Thanks to Pat @ SIGIS for the link in her always-marvelous (even when I'm not in it) "Full Metal Jacket Reach Around: Jennifer's Birthday Trip to Second Hand Rose Edition".

The Evolution of Internet Media: One of These Things is Just Like The Other

2011-07-29T16:47:00.000-07:00

Surely I'm not the only blogger who writes 4 or 5 posts that I never complete or publish for every one that sees daylight. Why is that?

Here's an example of one - my musings on a "news report" to the effect that "[Latest New Introduction] Will Mean The End of Blogging":

One of These Things is Just Like the Other, One of These Things is Quite the Same.

Has anyone else noticed that most "new" internet websites that claim to be new technologies... aren't? Instead they are just mostly repackaged versions of the basics with snazzier marketing than their predecesors. Each improves on their ability to attract a crowd - and that crowd-attraction is the real heart of any business - but they do it by just tweaking good old concepts someone else tweaked last year.

And there you have it: an MBA-on-a-Post-It.

Consider:

The Personal Webpage = Space on the internet that can be customized using HTML. Amount of text content that can be included is nearly limitless. It's like if there were blogs back in 1994. Most ISPs provide this space free as part of their monthly service fee. Need to learn HTML or pay someone to code your page. Each change needs to be coded as well. Very easy to use for people who formerly used PFS Write as their word processing tool in the computerized days before the internet.

Guest Book = Set of Code you can add to your Personal Webpapge that automatically codes updates, so new content displays immediately without need to individually prepare the HTML. It's like if there were comments back in 1994. Code allows anyone to submit content to your page, and each contributor's content is separated by a border but otherwise allows an almost limitless amount of text. Only Server Host may delete or edit content, including that submitted by others.

eBay Feedback = Personal Webpage Guestbook, with strict character limits, that allow only 142 characters to be posted at a time. It's like if there was Twitter back in 1995. The Feedback Personal Webpage Guestbook is automatically assigned to your account, with customization prohibited. Original code allowed anyone to submit content to your page. All content was public. eBay was owner (not you), thus only eBay could delete or edit content - generally they did not.

Blogs = Personal Webpage pre-designed with Guestbook appearance that only you can add content to, and that owner can edit and delete. Comes with limited choice of pre-set HTML codes governing appearance and content activity but otherwise allows for nearly unlimited addition of text content. Part of this code allows for easy addition of links to other sites and ability to display some of their content as they are updated.

MySpace = Personal Webpage Guestbook Blog that not only provides html templates but also encourages nearly complete freedom of customization by using custom HTML. Allows owner to prescribe some limits to activity of visitors.

Facebook = Personal Webpage Guestbook MySpace with character limits that prevent addition of more than nominal text, and prohibits customization of appearance or content activity. Owner cannot control how content is displayed, only to whom (within tight parameters). It's like if MySpace were put on restriction. Allows owner to add limited content in arbitrary locations. Allows easy addition of links to other Facebook pages with pre-defined display of some of their content as they are updated. Allows owner to limit access and designate which persons have visibility of some content.

Twitter = Personal Webpage Guestbook with Feedback-mirroring character limits. Inflexible format comes with limited choice of pre-set HTML codes governing appearance and content activity. Part of this code allows for easy addition of links to other sites and ability to display some of their content as they are updated.

Google + = WOW! You get MORE than 140 Characters! Google+'s revolutionary new technology lets people spell real words and write complete sentences!

Is Google+ "The End of The Blog", or just "the end of Blogger(TM)"?

Here's a Truth, from someone who knows: When it comes to the Internet, the only time anything is the end is when it is The End.

Wanna See Leadership? THIS is Leadership

2011-07-28T15:33:00.000-07:00

THIS is Leadership. Drjgarvin, sir, thank you!

via American Digest

My Fair Lady: Support Your Local Theater

2011-07-28T04:08:00.000-07:00

What's playing on the little theater stage in your town this week?

There are amazing hidden talents in our friends and neighbors, and we don't have to watch America's Got Talent to see it. The next person we speak with in any local business is very likely to be able to dance, write, sing, command, heal, paint, compose, design, speak, run, bat, build, perform, or act so well it would leave us speechless. The person next door, down the block, around the corner, is a suprising miracle.

If next summer you find yourself in Texas, in proximity to attend the Brownwood Lyric Theater's Summer Musical, by all means make the effort and go!

We saw My Fair Lady last week and it was WONDERFUL.

This is Paul's favorite musical. The book in that photo up there came out of our bookshelf. So, on the one hand, that made it a must-see production, on the other hand, he was a bit nervous. We know there are a lot of talented people in the area - we saw Fiddler on the Roof last year. But this is the middle of rural Texas after all, and the British accents are crucial to the story.

They did a fabulous job. The acting from the entire cast was top-notch. The music (solo, choral and orchestral) was perfect. The choreography was down pat. The directing was worthy of Broadway. The costumes were magnificent. The accents would have fooled a native Londoner.

We were both so pleased and delighted! It is noteworthy that Paul was impressed, because in his earlier life he did summer stock (The Lost Colony) and actually lived in New York City, working on off-broadway shows, for a while. So he has been immersed in professional theater - when he gives praise, he knows from personal experience what it is he is applauding.

I am no expert, but I know that there were times during the performance that I forgot I was watching a play and became completely caught up in the events on stage.

And the $10 ticket price made it the best bargain around.

We are so constantly exposed to the most sophisticated entertainment there is. Via television, movies, and dvds, any night of the week we can watch the greatest actors in the world, see the most cutting edge special effects, hear music recorded and mixed with the most exacting sound equipment.

But there's still room to be charmed, delighted, entertained, and even swept into a spontaneous standing ovation by our own neighbors, teachers, shopkeepers, administrators, cabinet makers, as they share their amazing talent in beautiful live events like this one. You have to be there to experience it.

So! What's playing in your town this week?

Jubilee Week at Victory Life Church: Live Streaming Broadcast

2011-07-24T17:43:00.000-07:00

One of the churches we attend hosted a "Community Prayer and Praise Service" a couple of weeks ago. This Community Prayer is held each quarter at different churches each time, and the prayer focus is on our immediate local area. It was a powerful service, attended by so many people from other churches, or who do not go to church each week.

There was no sermon, and those who came forward and led us in prayer were not preachers, but citizens and members of the professions for whom we prayed. A policeman prayed for our First Responders: police, firemen, EMTs. A school administrator prayed for our superintendants, teachers, principles, janitors and maintenance staff, cafeteria staff and others who run our schools. A married couple who own a business prayed for our local businesses, for the mall and shopping areas, for the economic health of our county. We prayed silently with each, and when the service ended, it was over.

Such services are held in most cities at some time during the year. If you do not go to church, this kind of service can still be a wonderful experience. And if you do go to church, this kind of service is something very different in purpose and function from your regular services.

Duane Sheriff Ministries leads several congregations in Oklahoma and Texas, and has a free (completely free - no shipping for US orders) CD and DVD ministry. We attend one of the congregations. If you are interested in hearing the real word of God for yourself, Pastor Duane's message is new and honest and straight from the Bible. But it is like nothing you may have heard before.

The church begins its annual JUBILEE week tonight. It is starting right now, at 7:30 PM Central Time. If you would like to listen in to the LIVE cast, go here: http://www.dsheriff.org/

Click "Watch Live" from the navigation bar and select "Live Fullscreen".

If you come to this page later, there are also options for podcasts and earlier messages.