As Aunty Dies

It was a week ago that my sister called to say that Aunty wasn't expected to make it through the night. She has been in the nursing home and it was expected but my heart still ached at the thought of never seeing her again.

We always just called her "Aunty". It wasn't until my younger brother was addressing his graduation announcements, that it first occurred to him that aunty might have a formal name. Until then, Aunty was adequate for him as it was for all of us.

There was never any doubt about whether or not she would spend eternity in Heaven with Jesus. She was a devout Christian. I remember once she mentioned her prayer list was so long it kept her up late, just getting everybody prayed for. She has been the one person in my life who made me feel unconditionally loved from childhood on.

Just to share one example, during an especially difficult time during my "single parent" life raising teenagers, she came with a gift. It was for no particular occasion. When I opened the package I found an exquisitely beautiful cutglass crystal bowl. It was octogon shaped with a sawtoothed edging. It was gorgeous!

She said to me, "I know you don't have much that is "pretty" in your life right now, and I wanted you to have something that was "pretty." Of course, I was moved to tears at this loving gesture.

That is the kind of love and compassion she showed to people. She could see a need and fill it. If she had given me money, I would have spent it and probably never remembered it. Anyway she couldn't have afforded all the money I needed at that time.

I cherished that bowl. Even when things changed and I did have many "pretty" things in my life, that bowl was always in a place or shelf of honor. To me it was a true treasure. Since then I have passed it on to my son, along with the bowls story, to make sure it remains a family treasure as Aunty has always been.

As I write this, she is still among the living, having some good days and some not very good days. I keep checking with Southwest Airlines fares on line trying to anticipate the funeral date and can I work it so I can take advantage of Southwest's good fares.

All I can do now is to honor her and her children, my cousins, with my presence at her funeral. Not very much for a woman who gave me the security of being loved all my life.

I wonder if there are little things we can do to show people we love them and care for them as a means of encouraging them. A simple gesture like giving a person something "pretty" who doesn't have anything "pretty" could pass Aunties loving gesture forward and make a difference in another person's life.

Let the Immigrants adapt!

Everyone knows that our country is made up of immigrants. My Grandfather was himself an immigrant from Norway. But he had learned to speak English before he got here and he made it his business to become fluent in the English Language.

He understood that while he loved the country of his birth, Norway, he was in a new country now. He never even thought of flying the Norweigan Flag instead of the American flag. It never occurred to him to expect people to learn Norweigan to make him more comfortable. He came to America because of the opportunities that were available to every entreprenuer who was willing to work hard. He was anxious to learn the culture and the customs of this new land of opportunity. Consequently, when the stock market crashed in the late 30s, he was among the very few who had money. He was a wise American. He worked hard and he saved and prepared.

As Americans, most all of us decendants from immigrants, we have our own society and our own lifestyle. In our country, the language is English. In the privacy of their own homes some may speak in the languageof their old country, but every person with an ounce of intelligence knows that if you want to succeed in this country you must quickly learn the language and learn it well.

This country has had many stuggles and difficulties but millions of men and women have fought bravely to make sure we have the freedom to use our country's motto, "In God we Trust!" This is nothing that the Ultra Right Wing wackos dreamed up and shoved down our throats. No, it was a motto chosen by our founders and it is clearly documented as such.

If you don't wish to be in a country such as this where the majority of people do believe in God and trust in God and worship God, then you are certainly free to move to another country where God is barely given a thought. There are plenty of those. And there is nothing preventing you from leaving. You are free to leave. And I for one say, "the sooner the better".

Take back our Christan Heritage!

One of our great strengths as a country is being a country of choices. That great quality may also be our country's undoing.

We celebrate Christmas...the birth of baby Jesus. But because it isn't celebrated by everyone, in some places we can no longer say "Merry Christmas". It should instead by "Season's Greetings." In most schools it's not "Christmas Vacation", rather it's Winter Break. Of course the Winter Break always falls over the Christmas holiday.

Funny that It doesn't seem to bother these people at all to take off from work on Christmas Day with a paid day off and receive gifts during this season.

We've gone so far the other way, bent over backwards in an effort not to offend anyone, that now WE are offended. But the secular world is not bothered at all by Christians being offended. We need to take back our country and the Christian Heritage on which it was founded.

Prayer Warrior Update

A few days ago I asked for willing people to become "Prayer Warriors for President Bush" on a daily basis. I am happy to report we are a group of several with prayer warriors in Minnesota and others in Colorado. Please join us in asking God to protect President Bush and commit to praying for him at least once each day for the remainder of his presidency. Let's give him the feeling that "We've got his back". Keep on praying every day and we can protect him from those who wish to destroy him.

When in my house don't insult my choices

A man knocked on our door today. We have a satellite dish on our RV and so does he. The problem with that is his didn't work. He was looking for Richard to help him.

He is standing in our living room, I respectfully turned down the volume on the TV, so we could have a conversation with this stranger. He looked at our TV, which as usual, was tuned in to FOX News. He said "How is Fox News bashing the Dems today?".

I said, "They just tell the truth!" He said, "Oh, I know better than that!" I said, "Sometimes the truth is something different than we want to hear".

Then I left and went to my Beading class. Richard told me that he learned that this strange looking, earing wearing man was a college teacher in Oregon. He was here to take advantage of some free insurance program somehow.

Isn't it interesting that a stranger would come into our home and bash our choice of TV stations while he is looking for technical assistance from my husband.

Anyway, I have for a long time claimed that Democrats are just not that bright. This man did nothing to change my mind.

A Soldier's letter to John Kerry

This was posted on 'Military Friends' from the family member who wrote this and is being forwarded and put in newspapers and news broadcasts anywhere she can make it happen.

Yesterday, John Kerry said, "You know education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework, and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well, and if you don't, you get stuck in Iraq."

So I wrote him this letter.

I am a Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps. I am currently on my second tour in Iraq, a tour I volunteered for.

I speak Arabic and Spanish and I plan to tackle Persian Farsi soon. I have a Bachelors and Associates Degrees and between deployments I am pursuing an MBA in college. I was a member of several academic honor societies, including the Golden Key Honor Society.

I am not unique among the enlisted troops. Many of my enlisted colleagues include lawyers, teachers, mechanics, engineers, musicians and artists just to name a few.

You say that your comments were directed towards the President and not us. If we were stupid Senator Kerry, we might have believed you.

I am not a victim of President Bush. I proudly serve him because his is my Commander and Chief. If it was you who was President, I would serve you just as faithfully. I serve America, Senator Kerry, and I am also providing a service to the good people of Iraq.

I have not terrorized them in the middle of the night, raped them or murdered them as you have accused me of before. I am doing my part to help them rebuild. My part is a simple one, but important.

You see, Senator Kerry, like it or not, we came here and removed a tyrant (who terrorized Iraquis in the middle of the night, and raped them and murdered them) and we have a responsibility to see to it that another one doesn't take his place.

The people of Iraq are recovering from an abusive realtionship with a terrible government and it's going to take some time to help them recover from that. We can't treat this conflict like a microwave dinner and throw a temper tantrum because we feel like it's taking too long.

Senator Kerry, you don't have to agree with this war. You don't have to say nice things about those of us who choose to make sacrifices for the rights of every American rather than sit back and simply feel entitled to it.

But please, Senator Kerry, if you're going to call me a stupid murdering rapist, stick by what you say. Don't tell me that I misunderstood or that you would never insult a veteran because you're one too. Having been there and done that does not give you a free pass to insult me.

My suggestion for you, Senator Kerry, is to remember that your speeches are recorded and broadcast to us simpletons over here. You may want to write down what you want to say before you say it, maybe have somebody look at it before you say it and tell you what others might hear.

Remember that we can't read your mind, if there are any misinterpretations in what you say, it's because you didn't communicate clearly.

Good luck to you Senator Kerry, if nothing else, it's always entertaining to watch you try and climb out of the holes that you constantly dig for yourself.

Sincerely,
Somebody who is watching his daughter grow up in photographs so that you can have the right to say whatever you want about him.

820 miles in one day

For a couple of old folks who ordinarily don't travel more than 200-300 miles in a day we broke all our records. First of all we got up about 4:00 AM, had a cup of coffee at the truck stop cafe and an extra cup to go. We were on the road at 4:45 AM. Our original goal was Las Cruses, New Mexico but it wasn't more than 11:00 AM when we went through there. We just kept going and before we knew it we were through New Mexixo and into Arizona.

That's all it takes for Richard to get the urge to drive longer and reach our destination. This time we were going beyond Phoenix and up into the mountains. We didn't stop until we reached Camp Verde, AZ. This is a place of beauty in an otherwise not so beautiful state. It's cooler up there. without going very far you can go up into the mountains to Jerome, AZ, an old copper mining town, now a tourist trap. Actually, you should go there. It's worth the trip up the mountains to see. Or you can stay in the valley and enjoy the beauty. It's very pretty in all directions. There are not many places in Arizona where anything is pretty.

There are signs that say watch for animals but I have yet to see one. A dead fox or coyote but nothing else. Now thats a switch from Texas. The Eastern half of Texas is a feast for the eyes when it comes to wildlife. Not so in Arizona. Surely there must be places around where wildlife can live and flourish, but we haven't seen much of it anywhere in Arizona. Rumors abound of stories of Javelina and snakes in the campground but so far not in our area.

From 5:00 AM to after 7:00 PM neither of us was very stiff or sore. That speaks well for our 2005 Ford 350 Super Duty Deisel, 4 wheel Drive truck. Richard loves his truck. I know he wishes I knew about and could talk about things like torque and boost and RPMs. But I don't. He can talk trucks with some guy at some campground down the road.

Midlands, Texas and west

As you leave Midlands and travel West on 1-20 you see more and more oil wells. And more and more it smells. It cannot be healthy to live in that area where you are contantly taking in the fumes of all that oil. I wonder if anyone ever did a study on the lungs of those people.

It's one thing if the smell of the oil means big dollars for you, but for the waitresses we met and others who are just earning a living there, it has to be tough to get used to. It goes for what seemed like hundreds of miles.

It was a relief to get to the desert of the far west side of Texas. Yes, there is nothing but brush and dirt and dust to look at but at least it doesn't stink.

Become a "Prayer Warrior for Bush"

Calling all people of faith to be "Prayer Warriors" for President Bush!

The next two years plus are going to be extremely challenging for President Bush and I believe he can benefit from our prayers to protect him as the Liberals and others set out to investigate and undermine everything from Katrina to Iraq.

Regardless of what they say, they will not set out to discover the truth about any of these issues, but rather they will seek to "destroy" him, his name and his legacy and even his family.

There are stories from Biblical times to the present that tell how aggressors didn't attack because they could see so many soldiers or guards protecting a certain potential victim, only to find out later that what the aggressors saw was the spiritual image of "prayer warriors" who were at that very moment, praying for that person's protection.

Decide today that once a day for the next two years or longer if necessary, (this is a huge commitment), you will lift up President Bush in prayer and ask God to give the President, His (God's) strength and wisdom as he proceeds with the last of his presidency.

The President has endured and will endure endless scrutiny and ridicule from those who wish to destroy him. All the while he has been praying to God daily to protect us and keep us safe.

There will be no fees or dues, but as we go forward and become a formidable group of warriors, I would be interested in having your email addresses just to know how large a group we are. Even if you don't want to send me your email address, pray anyway every day, that God's Holy Spirit will stick close by the President as he fights the battles he is about to encounter.

Occasionally you may get an urging in the form of a "still small voice" to drop what you are doing and pray at unusual times during the day. Please be open and mindful and listen to that direct message as God uses you and uses all of us to protect our President.

President Bush has often remarked that he can feel the people praying for him. Let's give him the feeling that "we've got his back." While we're at it, our troops really need to know we have their backs, as well during these unsettled times.

You can send me your email address through the comments. Of course I will not ever publish a list of email addresses but will keep it more as a count.

Let's begin today!

Heading West

Today is our last day of wood carving instruction. Tomorrow we will begin our journey from Texas to Arizona where we will stay until February.

Arizona has been inundated by people from California so the state is changing from a pretty solidly conservative state to one that didn't even pass the new marriage law in the recent election. This is also the state that has "Sheriff Joe" of Maricopa County who makes his prisoners learn English, wear pink underwear and eat baloney sandwiches. The result is prisoners do whatever they can to make sure they don't have to return to his jail. What a concept! Sheriff Joe for President!

Anyway, back to wood carving. Richard is "relief carving" a picture of an eagle. It is turning out really well. I think he may have discovered something within him. He is loving this wood carving. He will be able to make things and give to his grandsons that they can hold onto.

I am learning "chip carving". It is not rocket science but if you don't hold the knife just right and if you don't concentrate, (at first anyhow), it is hard to make the chips come out exactly the way you want. I am determined, though, to develop this skill. The things one can make with chip carving, are breathtaking works of art. Hopefully one day, something I have made will be considered a work of art and something for my kids and grandkids to cherish.

What could be better?!

Poll question # 2

How many miles from your birthplace do you now live?


(You can answer poll questions on this blog anonymously if you wish.)

Sweet Potato Casserole

Ingredients
3 Cups Mashed Sweet Potatoes (either canned or fresh)
1/2 Cup White Sugar
1/2 Cup Butter
2 Eggs
1 tsp. Vanilla
Topping
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Butter (partially soft)
1/2 Cup Flour
1 Cup Pecans Chopped
Method
Mix the first five ingredients well and place in casserole dish.
Topping: Mix ingredients by crumbling together. Place on top of other mixture and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Makes an 8x8 pan. Double this for a 9x13 pan.

You can be Anonymous for polling

If you are worried about putting your answers and your identity up there for the whole world to see, not to worry. The answers will come only to me and no one but me will see your identity. But even if you don't want even me to see your identity, you can be anonymous.

I will tabulate all the answers and post them in a couple of days or more or less, depending on the particular poll.

Poll question #1

Did you vote in today's election? Yes or No

If yes, Good for you!
If no, why didn't you?

1. Perhaps you are not a citizen of the United States of America.
2. Perhaps you think your 1 vote wouldn't matter.
3. Perhaps you don't like any of the candidates.
4. Perhaps you are too lazy.
5. Perhaps there is another reason. Tell me what it is.

Please enter your answer with a comment. Thank you.

A Poll

Ever since I can remember I have wanted to do polls. I guess because I really do wonder what people think, how they feel and do they think like I do about issues. So last night I had this brain storm to put a poll on our website only to realize that I don't know how to do the interactiveness of a poll on the website. But on this blog, there is a way to comment so next post will be a poll.

Please check it out.

When the election is Over

What a relief it will be to finally get through a day without political ads! Will we know who won or will the results be in the laps of the lawyers? Many of us who are full time RVers have voted several days ago on absentee ballots. It would be interesting to know the politics of the full time RVers, wouldn't it?

King Ranch Casserole Recipe

1-3-4 lb. broiler/fryer (chicken) cut up
1 tsp. salt
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1-10 oz can Ro-Tel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chili
1 Large onion chopped
1 Large green pepper chopped
1 1/2 tsp. Chili Powder
12 corn tortillas
2 Cups shredded Monterey Jack or Mixican Style cheese
garlic powder to taste

Method
Place chicken in a large dutch oven or other cooker.
Add water to cover and 1 tsp Salt.
Simmer covered about 1 hour or until chicken is tender.
When cool remove and bone the chicken reserving the broth.
Cut or tear meat into small pieces and set aside.
In a separate bowl, combine soups with tomatoes, onion, green pepper and chili powder and mix well. Set aside.
Heat reserved chicken broth.
Tear tortillas into fourths, dip each piece in warm chicken broth and place half the tortilla pieces on the bottom of a greased 9"x13"x2" baking pan or cassorole dish. (Be sure to do these individually and not all at once.)
Continue layering using half the chicken, half the soup/tomato mixture, half the cheese and half the tortillas.
Sprinkle w/garlic powder and repeat layers with remaining ingredients.
Bake covered at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until cheese has melted and sides of cassorole are bubbly.
Serves 10-12.

Let me know if you love it!

Show and Sale day at the Wood Carvers rally

Today is the first of 2 days in which the wood carvers can sell their wares. Someone has carved carousel horses that are life size. Maybe it would be more accurate to say "Carousel Size". I can't wait to see them close up. We have seen one of them through our RV windows as the truck arrived that was transporting it.

Of course, living full time in an RV, we don't have room to purchase anything like that, even if we had a desire to, which we don't. We have no room for useless trinkets of any size.

Tomorrow is the last day of the Wood Carvers Rally here in Glen Rose, Texas. Word has it that the Spring rally here at Oakdale RV park is a much bigger rally. Its a rally filled with talented carvers. Those we have met are very nice people.

As with most rallies, we had a pot luck here. One of the cassorole dishes was especialy good. I will post the recipe.

Kerry needs to resign

What other position can you have in this world and screw up and screw up and screw up and be able to keep your job? None that I can think of. Why does Kerry get to keep his job?

Developing Hobbies

Richard is developing his new hobby of wood carving. His buffalo got feet today. He has 2 grandsons so I think its clear that he either needs to carve another buffalo or he needs to carve something else so they each have something he has made for them.

I have tried my hand at "Chip Carving." My new friend, Lena, has done her best to try to teach me. But the jury is still out about whether or not I will be a successful chip carver. Richard thinks that its because of my contacts. They are Mono Vision. I have a different perscription in each eye. I can't really see the minute spot that has to be cleaned out of the carving. I tried before with my Wal-Mart glasses and couldn't really see well enough to do anything.

Anyway, today I wanted some peace and quiet to see if I could connect our blog with the website and I think I have done it.

Isn't retirement great! We can finally do some of the hobbies we never had a chance to try when we were working. If Richard can add fishing to his growing list of hobbies, he'll be a happy man.