Favorite Christmas Ornaments

Our Christmas tree is a small history of our marriage and family. We still have the first ornament we bought in 1976, but many others have been added since then. Of course some have not weathered the journey over the years, still it is fun to put the ornaments on from the past every year and add to them as well. Here are just a few of my favorites:

Father Christmas is a recent addition and I love his old worldiness, it reminds me of my German heritage.

This great glass blown cowboy boot is all about Texas!!

I got this baseball player because of our love of the game. Sorry Beav that it's not a Royals player, but how can you not love Albert Pujols?!

Betty got this ornament for us a few years back, big surprise there!

In keeping with the in-house rivalry we quickly added this one to the tree.

This kewl dude reminded me of our youngest, so we had to add it.

This is a salute to my favorite soldier!

Cows hold some type of weird fascination for me, so I'm always watching for cow ornaments. There were cows at the stable, right?

For Unto Us A Child Is Born

This is the time of year when I long to hear Handel's Messiah and reflect on God's goodness in sending a Saviour. (Aren't I lucky that we have modern technology and youtube?!) All around me is the crass commercialism of this high holy day, our Christmas! Many people who take the holidays off don't even know why!! How can that be? I realize that traditions passed down often get watered down to meaningless occasions, but this is a religious holiday. If you are a Christian this may be the biggest!

I always get overwhelmed with emotion when I think of how it all happened. I accept it whole-heartedly with a fascination as to how all of the details were foretold, came to pass and now here we are centuries later marveling in song as to God's very presence in our lives. Because if you accept the premise of the Christmas story you have Jesus still alive and involved intimately in your life. And it is more than just getting carried away by the beauty of the music, it is my very soul rejoicing with the angels. That is what listening to this is like for me!



For those who think of Christmas as just another break from school or work, I feel so sorry for you. You are missing the meaning of the most glorious event the world has ever known. It is not about presents, or food, or family gatherings, though those things highlight the importance of Christmas. Listen to Handel's words taken from Isaiah 9 verse 6 :

For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given: And the government shall be upon His shoulder, And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Lady Emma Fire Stryker

We chose her from a large litter of sweet Golden Retriever pups because she was the one who came and laid her sweet little head on our feet. Plus she was one of the few that hadn't been spoken for! She came with "papers" and we had to follow guidelines for naming her, the name "Fire" had to appear in her title. That was easy as our military posting at the time was Fort Lewis, Washington, home of the newly built "Stryker" armored vehicle. The name of Emma was chosen by Betty for her obvious love of Jane Austin novels, so it was a good fit all around!

Her first year at Lewis in our home in DuPont was filled with sweet memories of a gangly puppy who did not like to be alone, lasted for only part of her long walks and had to be carried home, but then grew more spunky with each passing month. I do remember her getting frisky with the neighbors Australian Shepherd through a hole under the fence. They would have made great playmates, but the other dog in that yard was a cantankerous old black lab and he sent Emma yelping to our back door with a nip to her nose! She learned a valuable lesson that is good for us as well; don't stick your nose into your neighbor's business!

She and our cat Mr. Knightley sorted out the hierarchy of the animal kingdom within the household very quickly. With a few well placed kitty swats, Emma learned to respect the fat cat and the coexistence of the two species went along just fine.

We moved to Carlisle, Pennysylvania for Ward's one year War College course. Carlisle is a tiny postage stamp sized post, but it did have some great walking areas and even an area designated for dogs. We took advantage of that area to let Emma run free until one fateful day in late fall when she chased a squirrel right through an open area in the fence. Just as I called our for her to come back, she turned but was still struck by a car. She came back through the opening with a broken leg! We were mortified, and got her to the local vet. After x-rays he said he was too complicated a fracture for him to set, so he bandaged it and we made an appointment for a vet specialist located two hours away the next day. I will never forget that night as Emma lay next to our bed. She would whine with the pain, but as soon as Ward reached over to touch her, she would be silent and rest again. Her human touching her did that much for her!!

How we got through those painful months of recuperation is a blur. It was slow and cumbersome because of the pins and trips two hours away to the vet, but early in the spring the pins were out and the cast was off, but sadly her leg would never be quite healthy.

We made a trip that summer to my brother's cabin in Colorado. We did an overnight which was a few miles hike in and out and Emma seemed to handle all of that walking just fine. I remember a friend of my brother's visiting us at his cabin. The deck is raised and there are about 10 open wooden stairs to climb from the back yard to get there. His friend had his two large labs and my brother has a smaller lab, and then there was our wounded warrior, Emma. The dogs were getting along fine, but this gentleman decides he needs to clear the deck of all animals and starts shoving them with his foot down the stairs. I see this and in my mind's eye I am doing the slow-motion "no-o-o-o" but it is too late. Down they all go . . . and when Emma returns she is limping! Oy! She favors her leg for several days, and then all seems well.

After Carlisle we move to Fort Leavenworth. Emma adjusts well with each move, but we notice odd things about our girl. She licks everything in sight. It is an annoying habit! We ask the vet about it and he can offer nothing but, "probably allergies." She eats everything that is not nailed down. On more than one occasion I have to use the old trick of "one-part hydrogen peroxide to one-part water" to get her to throw up various harmful things she has ingested, to include bags of Dove chocolate (I mean the entire bag!), pans of brownies, loaves of bread, bars of soap, and even parts of chemical fire logs! Occasionally her stomach adventures lead to serious upsets so we would put her on a bland diet of chicken and rice until things returned to normal.

For all that, Emma was the sweetest dog I have ever known. Her temperament was beyond passive, especially with other dogs! When we decided to get Kip, our black-lab-hound mix pup, I became concerned that this little two month old Kip was too aggressive to Emma!! Kip was just too Alpha for our Emma. With help from a trainer, I learned to become the Alpha in our home and got control of the situation.

I can't believe that just a little over a week ago Emma was her happy, sweet self. We had noticed some odd things, just a bit of drooling and took her to the vet on a Friday. Early Sunday morning she died. The vet was as shocked as we were. He had done blood work, checked her lungs. He thinks it may have been a tumor. Whatever it was it came in by storm and took her with lightning speed.

This week my heart still can't believe she is gone. I am troubled by the thought that we should have done more. But I do rest in the fact that we gave her a good home and loved her well, though not as much as she loved us!!

The Best Things In Life Are Not Things

Finally have a few moments to write about Thanksgiving. Ward and I and the Beave flew down to Texas to spend the holiday with my sister's family. Betty and Wally and their significant others joined us. Between the two families that made twelve for Thanksgiving dinner. That's a lot of pumpkin pie!!

This holiday was one of so many new beginnings. Where to start with a heart that is so full?

Betty and her husband are expecting! She is barely "showing" but feels the affects of the pregnancy fully, but is hoping the morning sickness will soon be over once she gets well into the second trimester. I am so excited about becoming a "Gram" and I am hoping that somehow this little family will live closer that halfway across the country. That's for God to decide. But he's been pretty good to us so far.

And then Wally introduced everyone to his future bride. We made the trip over to meet his future in-laws. All doubts were put to rest when her mother talked about how she had prayed for a special young man, and how her prayers were answered by my son! I get goosebumps just thinking about this. And that evening I was overcome with emotion and thankfulness.

You see, I too have prayed for all my children from birth. One of the big things on that prayer list was for spouses "after the Lord's own heart." Two times now that prayer has been answered with more than I could have hoped for!!

Since I have been home I have been reflecting on the Lord's goodness. The turkey and pies are gone, but my Thanksgiving is not over yet. The best things in life are not things!!

Is It Mean To State The Truth?

In the following article the author hits the nail on the head about why we as Christians cannot condone what God calls a sin. Why then do I always feel like I am hurting peoples feelings if I should mention this?

If we saw someone we know and love trying to rob a bank would we not think to try and talk them out of it? Is this particular sin any different because it involves sex? I have some friends who are not persuaded that this is one of the issues God cares about . . . but I believe God cares about all sins equally and for us to remain silent is just wrong, and we will be judged for that silence. I think it is just too convenient for us to remain silent, and silence can be interpreted as agreement.

I'm certainly not saying to go out and harass homosexuals. I myself, am much like the dinosaur in the movie Toy Story; I don't like confrontation! But we should be able to state an opinion when asked, gulp, about gay marriage. How does one engage in that type of dialogue without being considered "homophobic, intolerant, wingnut, etc., etc." I don't know, but I am working on it!

Why sin cannot be condoned by state

On Being American With No Hyphen

Just a short thought:

Theodore Roosevelt’s ideas on being an AMERICAN in 1907. “... it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person’s becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn’t an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.” - Theodore Roosevelt 1907

My evening with the patriotic Mr. Park, who came to this country in 1977 and stayed and became a citizen who knows the history of this country and why it is a great nation, and is not a Korean-American, but an AMERICAN, reminds me that we should never take for granted the humble beginnings of all who came here. My own mother is a naturalized citizen, from Germany, and has never taken her rights, or responsibilities, for granted. She votes in every election. She stays current on what is happening, and of course her blood pressure goes up watching the nightly news. She has never been a German-American. She is an AMERICAN with proud German roots.

An Evening With Mr. Park of Lawrence, Kansas

We are lucky again in this assignment at Leavenworth in that Ward and I get invited to all of the International events. Last night was the quarterly dinner in which all participants bring a dish to share. It is an international potluck! With over eighty countries represented, there was everything from ceviche to Korean glass noodles to Canadian moose milk. But although the cuisine is sublime, it is not the best part of the evening. Meeting new people, that's the sublime part of the night!

Mr. Park, of Lawrence, Kansas, was my dinner partner to my left. And because the gentleman to my right was the director of the event he was kept busy with keeping things running smoothly, I found myself for the most of the dinner, engaged in conversation with this TaeKwonDo philanthropist from the university. Mr. Park provides trips for foreign students to tour the university and to get into games, play golf and if they and their host country are interested a way to attend the university for a year after attending CGSC here at Fort Leavenworth. He was telling me how many foreign students had done this in the past and had gone on to become heads of state.

As the evening went on we spoke together about Seoul, where I have lived briefly and where he was from originally and how he came to come to the U.S. and become a citizen. We talked of the differences between Japan and Korea. And Mr. Park amazed me with his candor, but also his love of his adopted nation. He is an American now and a patriot! Wow, his knowledge of history and his point of view in that our country is one that, "never asks for a fight, but when called out goes in full force. And we never nationalize those countries we defeat! We help them rebuild and then get out." Of course he went on to say that did you know that Japan has never apologized for Pearl Harbor, and that we need to keep an eye on them even now. I also remember that not only did they never apologize to Korea for the atrocities that took place even before WWII, there was a controversy even when we were there in 2000-2002 over that part of history in their textbooks. I am amazed that the two countries were able to share hosting the World Cup!

The dinner portion was over too soon, and a DJ began playing tunes and the one thing that seems to be truly universal among the students began. The dance! I was mesmerized be a particular Italian officer who, being single, took over the floor with any available female dance partner he could find. Ah, to be twenty (OK, thirty!) years younger and to do the salsa! Ay carumba! Next time I am going to bring a camera to capture the sheer fun of this . . . did I mention that the students were all dressed in their native costumes?

Home Sweet Army Home

Here is a photo taken yesterday of our home at Fort Leavenworth. Great old Army house. Looks very nice doesn't it? Inside there is roughly 4700 square feet of wife killer dusting, vacuuming and stair climbing. Let's play word semantics and call the interior charming and rustic. Or as Betty commented on the kitchen the first time she saw it, "wow, Mom, you could so decorate retro!" Yes, I surely could. My moniker is June Cleaver, but I'll cast my pearls away if they would tell me they'd remodel the kitchen!

Plectranthus

I have a new favorite fall plant--Plectranthus--or Mona Lavender. I don't have anything against the ubiquitous fall mums, except they are so ordinary and common. The Mona is stunning! I paid as much for it as I would have for the boring old mum, but the colors are magnificent in their light purple flowers and deep green leaves, the underside of which are variegated deep plum. I took the plastic wrap from around the body and this plant just unfolded into grandeur. And if I am careful I can winterize it and keep it for next summer.

I hope I can keep it alive.

Blooming Where You Are Planted

Army spouses have long used the phrase "bloom where you are planted" to help us feel good about being constantly uprooted and replanted.

The last couple of moves I think the Lord has expanded that and used flowers to help me know that we are where He wants us. Five years ago when we moved from Fort Leavenworth, Kansas to Fort Knox, Kentucky he used a sunflower. The sunflower is the Kansas state flower and I came to love that simple yellow bloom, probably because I really enjoyed our time in Kansas. It was a good fit for our family. The sunflower became symbolic of a warm, folksy community, where kids still gathered in the summer for pick-up baseball games. And I adopted the sunflower as my logo. It was on my business cards, stationary and even in a potted plant in our home.

That made the move to Fort Knox a little painful for us. We had been in our new home for about three weeks and I was still feeling a bit glum about it. I was walking the dogs and when returning from the walk I happened to notice a small sunflower in among our bushes. There were no other flowers planted in that area. It was a fluke. Or as I took it, a sign from God! That one lone sunflower said to me that we were where we needed to be at that time. From that point on I looked for what He wanted me to do there at Fort Knox.

Then when our time at Fort Knox was supposed to come to an end after two years, Ward was asked to do an overseas assignment. He didn't have to go. We prayed about it and the decision was made. Still, last August, when I was out on a run and feeling lonely and overwhelmed, I questioned that decision. And then I looked up and saw an entire field of sunflowers! It was an affirmation that what we were doing was right. And this field of sunflowers had not been there the year before! I asked and it was due to some construction and new dirt in the field . . . or was just placed there just for me at a time when I needed it!! Because that's the way the Lord works.

This year we made a move again. This time away from Fort Knox and the wonderful friends that He had provided for us there. It was made even more heart-wrenching by the death of a dear friend and the timing seemed impossible.

We've been here at Fort Leavenworth almost two months and I'm still a bit dazed by the move and leaving those close ties. But here's the thing. Last week I was walking in our yard after clearing some land mines (hey, they are big dogs!) and coming along the side of our house I see a single yellow rose. This on a nearly dead rose bush that Ward and I had just weeks before thought about removing because it looked so bad and stubbly. We had cleared away most of the weeds but just hadn't gotten around to the hard digging out part. But there it was! And how I love yellow roses . . . so once again the Lord gives me a sign that this is where we need to be! The bush is a scrappy, haphazard mess. But zoom in on that beautiful single yellow blossom and tell me that doesn't give one hope. It's going to be okay.

Great Blue

Yeah, I finally get to post a pic of the Great Blue Heron that I see almost daily on my walk around Merritt Lake here at Fort Leavenworth.

Isn't he something? Ain't he a beaut!? He cooperated so very nicely in August when I went down to the lake, without the dogs!
I made a special trip back down to the lake hoping to find him and capture him on film. It took several attempts, as I usually spot him when walking the dogs in the early morning or after dinner time. I would get home, leave the dogs, grab the camera and usually by the time I got back to the lake he would be done with his morning feeding and off to the river, I'm guessing.

Anyway, this morning in late August he was feeding around the edge of the lake and I just followed. I stayed well back and didn't seem to bother his searching for fish at all.

Hitting The Wall

This happened to me the last time we moved into a 4700 square foot home. I've hit the wall in home decorating. Actually, I'm hitting several blank white walls!

We did quite well the first couple of weeks. Ward unpacked the boxes and organized them so it should have been easy to put things up. But no, this is an over one hundred year old house and it's going to take some time to make it feel like a home. That's because we have a budget of course, but more than that, there are just too many huge areas of space to cover.

The dining room was the easiest. We have a fireplace and that's a great place to place a picture. Between windows, a built in china hutch and my own china hutch there's not too much empty wall space. But the kicker here is that there is a wall ledge that splits the room horizontally and it breaks too high to even place pictures on. Hmmmm?

The kitchen and dining room went together relatively simply with standard items, although I had to use sheers on the four large living room windows because the walls couldn't support anything heavier without major drywall repairs. Ouch! Not going there.

The real trouble I am having is with the bedrooms on the second floor. Two of those will be guest rooms. We placed single twin beds in each of those, and we had some furniture for one room. But they still look rather empty and cold.

That's really what "decorating" is all about. You want your home, not so much as a showcase, but as a warm and inviting place for your family and friends to congregate.

I am so not there yet. And Army families don't have the luxury of time, of settling in over the years and adding a piece here and a something there over the years. After three years at Fort Knox we were just getting the feel of comfortable . . . now at Fort Leavenworth we have to begin again and get a whole new vision.

I'm having trouble with that. Sigh.

A Recipe Worth Sharing: Tear Soup

My friend Laura shared with me the title to a book someone gave her on healing after a loss. The title of the book is Tear Soup. Laura, who recently lost her wonderful, exuberant and loving husband to brain cancer said it was a help to her. I picked it up because I am also going through my own grieving process at the loss of this exceptional man who I counted as a friend, knowing full well that what I am experiencing is nothing, not even a tiny scintilla close, in comparison. Still, it has affected me deeply as a personal loss; and the sadness and empathy I feel for Laura is overwhelming.

Here in this little book is a short story for all who walk through that valley. It is illustrated brilliantly, saying things like "Not fair, bad news, big disappointment, serious heartache, profound loss, major loss and more than I can bear," which all go into a pot with "the memories, all the misgivings, all the feelings and all the tears she needed to stew in the pot over time."

In a simple, yet poignant manner this book speaks about how to grieve. In our fast paced culture we have lost the art of grieving. And it is an art. No two people grieve the same. And why should they?

My grief for losing Mark will be a totally different recipe than Laura's, but we can share a bowl from each others pot. And listen. And cry. And laugh. And remember. This sweet little book doesn't tell us anything we don't already know instinctively, but reading through it reminds us that it's Okay to go about it in our own good time and way, using our own individual recipe and ingredients.

On Pulling Up Roots

And having to replant!

We have moved. This move was pretty much like all of our others. The packing up at one end, racing to the new post with both cars stuffed to the max with luggage, the kid, the animals and various and sundry items needed to feed them.

But this time was so different. Moving is usually a hard emotional experience, it is one of the top stressful situations you can have in your life. But we had more than that on top of it. We had the roller coaster ride of additional stresses. The first being that Ward returned home from deployment. We have taken enough life management courses with the Army and we know that there can be a huge adjustment time, but we didn't get that. We had to pack out in one week!

On top of that was the death of a good, good friend that very same week. We had expected it, but maybe not quite so soon. God's timing is always good and to be trusted. We were able to be there for the final goodbye. But now my best friend and I are miles apart during this heavy duty grieving. I can't look out the window, see her and run and give her a hug or just run over to talk. The need to do that seems to create another huge sadness for us both.

So between unpacking and painting walls there is weeping. And a husband who probably doesn't understand though he tries.

This too shall pass.

I no longer try to force God's hand, but I wait patiently. I have learned something through walking with Him all these years. He will give me something to do here. He will help me replant the roots and it will be something that will delight my heart.

This Situation Stinks!!

Our hound-lab mix scooted out the front door last night around 9:30 p.m. I grabbed the lead and hustled after him because on the rare occasions that he gets loose he heads straight for the creek in back of our housing area. It's stinky and sludgy and full of high weeds which makes it hard to get him out, especially since the hound part of him gets fresh scents of all kinds of wild critters; we have deer, coyote, raccoons, foxes and oh yes, SKUNKS!

And Kip found him one of those last night; I can't believe that in my 60 second lapse time he had gotten himself sprayed!! I found him thrashing about in the tall weeds and at first thought he was fighting with some animal. He came quickly when I called him, but oh . . . the smell!!

I learned some things last night. First if your dog gets sprayed by a skunk, keep him outside of your home until he's cleaned!! I took him in because I wanted to check him for wounds. He was OK on that . . . then I googled to find what would clean him up the best. A solution of hydrogen peroxide, baking soda and a small squirt of dishwashing liquid did wonders. Unfortunately that is not a solution I can use of my carpets, walls, or anything else that came into contact with Kip, including visitors!

So I now have a very sweet smelling dog and a super-stinky home!! Oy! And my packers come Monday. Oy!! Febreeze doesn't cut it with this odiferous malady. I'm trying white vinegar sprayed on everything and getting all of my smaller rugs outside to air.

Ah, the visiscitudes of life!!

Home At Last!

This picture says it all!!

Tie A Yellow Ribbon

I love this tradition!! Ward is on on his way home and the yellow ribbons go up to welcome him back. Our front porch declares to the neighborhood that a soldier is home from a deployment and the blue star in the window can come down . . . until next time.

My Son As A Comic Strip Character

When the Beaver was about five years old we compared him to Calvin; he had so many of the characteristics of that cute, but devious little boy and he even had his own stuffed Hobbes. The comic strip of Calvin and Hobbes in which the broad themes of the strip dealt with Calvin's flights of fantasy and his friendship with Hobbes, his misadventures, his unique views on a diverse range of political and cultural issues and his relationships with the people in his life, especially his parents.(Wikipedia)



Now that he's older he is soooo much like the 15 year old Jeremy of the comic strip Zits! The strip is set in Midwestern suburbia, and centers on Jeremy as he tries to balance life while hanging out with his friends, developing an awkward relationship with his on-and-off girlfriend, struggling through school projects, practicing to become a rock god, and tolerating his embarrassing parents.(Wikipedia) And of course Ward and I fit the stereotype of the long suffering, but loving parents.

Wild Thing, Part Deux

The wildflowers are starting to show a few more blooms; there really needs to be a field of them to truly appreciate the variety and colors . . .

But I have my first morning glory bloom!

Wild Thing

This year I went for totally unconventional plants both in my flower boxes and my little bedding area in front of our quarters. Things are just now beginning to fill in. If we were here until August, I think it would have turned out quite nicely.

Anyway it's different than your standard impatiens bed. The first photo above is from the area in front of the house; the only plants I remember for sure are the yellow lantana; I picked the others for color and dependability. The ivy growing along the brick wall will slowly fill in up to the iron railing and should have pretty blue or purple blooms. It is morning glory and tends to take over.

The two center photos show a little experiment I did. I bought a packet of wild flower seeds and put them in a ground box that is next to our outdoor "patio" area.
They have just started to bloom and for the longest time they looked like a bunch of weeds! Actually unless I get some more blooms, I think it still looks similar to weeds, but I can see that there are a number of heads getting ready to open. Maybe in a week it will look like the a beautiful mountain meadow . . . or not!

Honoring My Children's Father

Happy Father's Day . . . Soldier Dad!


"By profession I am a soldier and take pride in that fact. But I am prouder -- infinitely prouder -- to be a father. A soldier destroys in order to build; the father only builds, never destroys."
Douglas Macarthur

"My father didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it."
Clarence Budington Kelland

"The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother." Theodore M. Hesburgh

Bul Go Gi to Biryani, A World of Taste

That's right the International Group of Fort Knox World of Taste Cookbook is hot off the presses. This little labor of love has recipes from Turkey, Pakistan, Korea, the United Kingdom, Australia, Belgium, Bahrain, Germany,Ecuador, Finland, Canada, France, Brazil and of course the good old USA. Best of all it also has pictures of our club members from the past few years, and every gathering involved sharing at least a small smackeral of something to gnosh on. We do so love to gnosh!

I'm going to share one recipe with you that was made for me by a very special friend from Saudi, though the recipe was written by a friend from the USA.

Djaj Mhammar (Baked Chicken)

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 chicken, fryer, cut into serving size pieces

Rice
Pine nuts

Combine all of the oil, lemon juice and spices in shallow baking pan. Roll cut up chicken in marinade. Bake in hot oven at 425 degrees F basting occasionally. Bake until tender when pierced with a fork (approximately 30 minutes). Remove from oven and baste again. Serve around a bed of plain rice. Sprinkle rice with cinnamon or pine nuts sauteed to a golden brown. Chicken juices may be reserved in a separate bowl to pour over rice. Serves four.

Two Innings of Redemption

The Beaver played his last game of the season on Thursday evening. The Falcons had not had much of a season this year with more than half of their games having been rained out, along with a lot of practices. This team had never really gotten the chance to mesh or bond. They had about four returning players and everyone else was new and some had never played baseball.

In fact it had been a Bad News Bears kind of season and spirits were low, especially after the loss two nights before. Attitudes were dismal and a pep talk was in order. I know that Beaver got one from me and certainly the coach gave them one before this last game. The boys didn't drag out onto the field, they hustled on and off. That in itself was a tremendous improvement from the previous game.

Maybe that's what made the difference in their play that night. Fielding was spot on and the bats were moving. The other team noticed it too and you could see that they knew that this was not going to be the cake walk that they had assumed it would be. At the third inning Falcons were down just 1-0 and were at the top of their line-up. The first hitter got on with a single. The second player doubled, but was later put out on a steal. The Beaver got a double. The fourth bunted to bring a runner home. The fifth batter got a double and brought in two! The boys were ecstatic, the dugout was exuberant! I'm not sure exactly how the rest of the inning went but we ended with three runs.

The Beaver pitched and somehow managed to get out of the bottom of third with no hits.

Then came the top of the fourth. Three up, three down for Falcons. Beaver pitches bottom of the fourth, three up, three down.

Now it is the top of the fifth inning; Falcons are up. First batter strikes out. Second batter, strikes out. Beaver is up, gets a single. Fourth batter, who has been a power hitter in the past, but hasn't really been hitting well this year, hits it out of the park!! Falcons are up 5-1 at this point in the game!!

In the bottom of the fifth the other team manages three runs so it is then 5-4. Though they go on to lose this in the bottom of the 7th when the other team gets a single and then a home run, which sounds familiar!

Just for memories sake I am going to mention the sweet pick-off the Beaver had in the third inning, when he got a third base runner out on a bullet fired to third, he never knew what hit him! Then when he was back as short stop in the sixth inning there was a sweet double-play 5-6-3!! Ouch! Runners at second and home, you're outta there!

But somehow the way they played in the third and fifth inning has redeemed the entire lackluster season for these boys!! Not that they were happy to lose, but they gave a good fight and left that field with their heads up having given 100 percent effort. I always thought the statement, "it's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game!" was trite, but now I know that it can ring true!

The Measure of a (Young) Man

“The measure of a man's real character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.”



This world can analyze and size you up and throw you on the scales
They can I.Q. you and run you through
Their rigorous details
They can do their best to rate you
And they'll place you on the charts
And then back it up with scientific smarts
But there's more to what you're worth
Than their human eyes can see
Oh, I say the measure of a man
Is not how tall you stand
How wealthy or intelligent you are
'Cause I've found out the measure of a man
God knows and understands
For He looks inside to the bottom of your heart
And what's in the heart defines
The measure of a man
Well, you can doubt your worth
And search for who you are
And where you stand
But God made you in His image
When He formed you in His hands
And He looks at you with mercy
And He sees you through His love
You're His child and that will always be enough
For there's more to what you're worth
Than you could ever comprehend
Oh I say the measure of a man
Is not how tall you stand
How wealthy or intelligent you are
'Cause I've found out the measure of a man
God knows and understands
For He looks inside
To the bottom of your heart
And what's in the heart defines
The measure of a man
You can spend your life pursuing physical perfection
There is so much more
More than ever meets the eye
For God looks through the surface
And He defines your worth by what is on the inside
I say the measure of a man
Is not how tall you stand
How wealthy or intelligent you are
'Cause I've found out the measure of a man
God knows and understands
For He looks inside
To the bottom of your heart
And what's in the heart defines
Oh, I say the measure of
The measure of a man
Is not how tall you stand,
How wealthy or intelligent you are
Oh, I've found the measure of a man
God knows and understands it
For He looks to the bottom of your heart
And what's in the heart defines
Yeah, what's in the heart defines
Yeah, what's in the heart defines
The measure of a man
I know, I know

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UB18zuNyr_I&feature=related

The Incredible Edible . . . Eyeball

The above is the Beaver's edible science project. None too tasty looking if you ask me, but in reality it actually is. The eyeball consists of white cake covered with frosting, the muscles holding the eye in place are fruit roll-ups; the veins and capillaries are gel tube frosting as is the iris; the cornea is clear gelatin and the pupil is a mini-Reese's cup.

I know what you're thinking. This thing is a good candidate for the Cake Wrecks site, but bear in mind that it couldn't look too professional or the teacher might suspect that the Beaver didn't do this on his own.

Angus You Are Amazing!

Our friend, Major Angus Benson-Blair accepts a prestigious award on behalf of the Royal Scots Dragoon Band. Click here to check it out:

http://itn.co.uk/tags/classical_brits.html

Classical Brit honour for UK forces

An album recorded by a military band in a sweltering tent in Iraq has won a Classical Brit, beating Katherine Jenkins and Andrea Bocelli to the prize.

Spirit Of The Glen: Journey was named album of the year at the glittering event at the Royal Albert Hall and the band immediately dedicated their gong to Britain's servicemen and women.

Collecting the award, Major Angus Benson-Blair of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards said: "The award is obviously about the album but I know everyone in the armed forces will see also each vote as supporting us in everything we do.

"So on behalf of every single soldier, sailor and airman I would like to say a huge and heartfelt thank you for every vote for the pipes and drums of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards. Thank you so much."

It marks the first time that non-professional musicians have won a Classical Brit.

To Angus and his Royal Scots Dragoon Band: Hey! Mukker! Thumbs up to you and yer boys. Watched the clip and you looked in grand fettle. Ye'll no fin the brither o't in monie a lang day!!

The Necklace

When does a piece of jewelry become a conduit for friendship and community involvement? The answer is when it is shared by thirteen middle aged women with sometimes little in common other than each owning a share in The Necklace.

This biographical read by is the engaging story of how thirteen women from Ventura, California of various backgrounds come to form a circle of friendship based on the communal ownership of one brilliant, stunning diamond necklace. Just the fact that they convinced each other to take part in the experiment is marvelous in my mind. When the necklace gets marked down to $13,000 from $37,000 . . . well, that's an opportunity too good to pass up!

And because I am roughly the age of the participants I can see both the value and the excitement of belonging to such a group. (Shoot, the whole reason I belong to my book club is for the fellowship; it is a benefit that also forces me to read books I wouldn't necessarily choose for myself. Part of the fun is the discussing the books and the differences of opinion that we all have.)

It's good that the author is not a member of this "club" because I believe she then gives us a clearer picture of each of the ladies of this unique sorority. What begins as a challenge proceeds to shape each of the women and touch them in surprising ways. What they learn about sharing the necklace is important; sure it's fun to share a gorgeous piece of jewelry; but it comes with its share of problems as well. The relationships that they build from those struggles are worth far more than the $1000 they each paid for their share.

What did they learn? Why that one of the healthiest things for women is to have and maintain friendships with other women.

Chip and Dale, Applecore, Who's You're Best Friend?

When we first moved here and saw chipmunks scampering about out front in and around the flower beds it brought back memories of those cute little imps from Disney, Chip and Dale. Now I feel like Donald in the cartoon Donald Applecore.

The little rodents are driving me nuts. They burrow holes all over the lawn and then my dogs dig bigger holes trying to get at them! They tear up newly placed bedding plants. This year I was trying to save a little money and thought I would go with mostly seeds. Everything has been overturned and dug up! Even the window boxes have been thoroughly destroyed. I don't think the seeds will make it. I am going to have to start all over.



Applecore! Baltimore. Who's you're best friend? Not me!!

Enough Is As Good As A Feast

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."
--Melody Beattie

Platitudes of Gratitude

For the last 100 daze (no that's not a typo) I have been feeling a bit negative. And now I realize that it is up to me to appreciate all of the good things in my life and stop focusing on the bad. It brings to mind the movie Pollyanna where the young heroine of the movie changes a whole community with her "Glad Game." In one scene in the movie she comes upon the Reverend Ford practicing for his hell and damnation sermon for the upcoming Sunday service. Pollyanna's deceased father was also a minister, but his take on life dealt with all of the glad verses of the Bible. John Ford uses the old compare and contrast brilliantly in that scene. If there are over 800 glad verses in the Bible, I hope to find them and along with other platitudes of gratitude, make my way back to the light.

A PSALM OF THANKSGIVING
Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands!
Serve the LORD with gladness,
Come before His presence with singing.
Know that the LORD, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
For the LORD is good;
His mercy is everlasting.
And His truth endures to all generations.
~Psalm 100~

Trashing Miss California

I find it interesting from the folks who ask us to be tolerant of their lifestyle choices are so publicly NOT tolerant of others beliefs. I would hope that they change the title to "Miss Liberal USA." At least the contestants would know what they are in for.

From Michele Malkin's April 20 column:

Celebrity leech/trash blogger Perez Hilton took to the Internet and TV airwaves to humiliate a beauty pageant contestant who gave what he considered an “offensive” answer about gay marriage. Hilton, inexplicably serving as a judge for the Miss USA contest, asked Miss California, Carrie Prejean, whether she supported the legalization of gay marriage. Prejean respectfully answered: “I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody out there, but that’s how I was raised.” President Obama, by the way, defines marriage the same way Prejean does.

No matter. Hilton immediately lambasted Prejean as a “dumb b*tch” in a viral YouTube video he taped after the pageant Sunday night. He apologized the next morning for the attack, then retracted his apology, then escalated his divisive rhetoric. On Tuesday afternoon, Hilton told an MSNBC female anchor that he was thinking of an even more vulgar epithet—the “c-word”—as he listened to Prejean’s answer. The female anchor said nothing. Basking in his new role as thought and speech enforcer, Hilton told CNN’s Larry King that beauty pageant contestants must bow to the tolerance mob: “Yes. I do expect Miss USA to be politically correct.”

And apparently, the Miss USA organizers agree. Instead of apologizing for Hilton’s vile behavior, the pageant director of the Miss California contest, Keith Lewis, sent a note to Hilton throwing Prejean under the bus: “I am personally saddened and hurt that Miss CA USA 2009 believes marriage rights belong only to a man and a woman. … Religious beliefs have no place in politics in the Miss CA family.”

But gutter profanity and misogyny do?

While We're On the Subject

Does gay marriage or even the homosexual agenda affect anyone. Most people think no, and take the position the military is required to take; that of "don't ask, don't tell" and we'll all get along just fine. Unfortunately, the estimated 3% of our population are not satisfied with just quietly leading their alternative lifestyle, they really do want to force their way on the rest of us, who believe me, just want to quietly live our lives. Here some great points made by Bryan Fischer:

Our choice: liberty or the homosexual agenda

Bryan Fischer
Bryan Fischer
April 20, 2009

On the pages of the Idaho Statesman, the Gem State's largest newspaper, Amy Herzfeld recently expressed her determination to continue pressing for legislation at the state level that will grant special workplace protections to those who engage in homosexual and transgender sexual behaviors.

Laws that provide special rights and privileges based on "sexual orientation" or "gender identity" are bad public policy because they represent a clear and present danger to religious liberty, freedom of conscience and freedom of association. Such laws are quickly used to harass, intimidate and punish individuals, businesses and organizations which adhere to traditional, time-honored values regarding human sexuality.

What follows is just a sampling of what happens under "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" statutes:

*A Christian photographer was fined $6,637 by the New Mexico Civil Rights Commission for declining to photograph a lesbian commitment ceremony, even though same-sex unions have no legal status in the state


*Christian fertility doctors in private practice in California have been barred by the state Supreme Court from declining to artificially inseminate lesbian patients on conscience grounds


*Catholic Charities of Boston shut down its work of finding homes for hard-to-place adoptive children because Massachusetts' "sexual orientation" law required staff to place children in homosexual households


*The Methodist Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association was found guilty of violating New Jersey's discrimination law for declining to rent space to a lesbian couple for a civil union ceremony


*The Cradle of Liberty Boy Scouts of Philadelphia were evicted from a building they had occupied since 1928 because the organization does not allow homosexuals to serve as Scoutmasters, even though the Supreme Court has upheld the Scouts' policy


*eHarmony, a match-making site for heterosexuals, was compelled to create a dating site for homosexuals, despite the fact that hundreds of such sites already exist


A nightclub in the Midwest is being sued for denying entrance to a cross-dressing male because he insisted on using the women's restroom despite the club's common sense concern for patron safety and privacy

This latter case demonstrates that privacy protections for every bathroom, dressing room, and locker room will disappear under "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" legislation.

Congress is even now considering "hate crimes" legislation, which provides enhanced penalties for those convicted of bias crimes against homosexuals.

The problem here is that this gives more protection to some victims of crime than others, which violates the fundamental principle of American justice that we are all equal under the law. Every victim of violence ought to have the full protection of the law regardless of his sexual orientation.

The murder of a cross-dressing man is a cause célèbre in Colorado right now. We join with homosexual activists in wanting his murderer prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

But we want justice for the victim because he was made in the image of God, not because he dressed as a woman and wore breast gels. We want every victim of homicide, regardless of sexual orientation, to have the same legal protection, no less and no more. Every crime, in fact, is a hate crime.

In addition, "hate crimes" laws are "thought crimes" laws. They punish an individual not for what he did but for what he was thinking when he did it. But as Thomas Jefferson said, "[T]he legislative powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions."

Religious freedom is the first right guaranteed to us in the First Amendment. Special rights for homosexuals receive no explicit mention in the Constitution whatsoever. Yet now we must choose between liberty and the homosexual agenda because, it turns out, we can't have both.

John Adams: "Facts are stubborn things . . .

and whatever may be our wishes, our inclination, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence."

Myth # 1:GOD LOVES EVERYONE, SO HOMOSEXUALITY IS FINE. God does love everyone, but not our sins, which is the reason Christ died and rose again--to save us from sin. God loves murderers, anorexics and liars-- and wants these people to stop their damage to others and to themselves. It's the same with homosexuality. Such desires are directly the opposite of positive, healthy choices, and scientists remain unconvinced that any humans are born to become homosexual. Plenty of evidence attests to the damage to the body, mind and spirit resulting from homosexual sex. There are many logical reasons why it remains a sin.

Myth #2: THE BIBLE DOES NOT OPPOSE HOMOSEXUALITY. If the Bible's clear passages against homosexuality can't be believed, it isn't believable on anything. Consider: "You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination." (Leviticus 18:22) And, "For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due." (Romans 1:26-27) And these aren't the sole passages, but the others are similar and convey the same message: Don't.

Myth # 3: THE STORY OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH DID NOT CONDEMN HOMOSEXUALITY. On the contrary, the destruction of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19) is quite obviously about homosexuality. The sins of the people were numerous, but their "trademark" sin was homosexual sex, which is apparent in the original passage as well as later Bible references to the event.

In the Genesis account, Lot and his family barricade themselves and their male guests inside their home as protection against the sexual depravity of a gang of males: "Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house. And they called to Lot and said to him, 'Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally.'" (verses 4-5) Lot begs them to go away, then offers them his virgin daughters instead (one more clear indication of the predators' goal). Despite Lot's questionable parenting here, the mob threatens Lot and accuses him of being judgmental (shades of 2005!), then begins to break down the door. The two guests, who've previously been identified as angels (verse 1), pull Lot back into the house and send a blinding light to disperse the crowd. The angels then instruct Lot and his family to flee the town, which they are about to destroy. This destruction occurs soon afterward.

The Bible provides a laundry list of grave sins committed by the Sodomites: pride and insolence (see Ezekiel 16:49-50; 2 Peter 2: 6-10), gluttony (Ezekiel 16:49), greed and laziness (Ezekiel 16:49-50) disrespect toward God and His true believers(Isaiah 3:9, Ezekiel 16:50), false worship (Deuteronomy 29:23-26; Isaiah 1:10-11; Jeremiah 23:14; Ezekiel 16: 46-56), lies, especially by the prophets/priests (Jeremiah 23:14), violence (Isaiah 1:21) and neglecting the poor and orphaned (Isaiah 1:23, Ezekiel 16:49-50). The main sin mentioned is sexual immorality (Jeremiah 23:14; Ezekiel 46-56, 2 Peter 2:6-18; Jude 7-19), specifically homosexuality (Genesis 19:4-5; Ezekiel 16:50; 2 Peter 6-18; Jude 7-8) Subsequent references to the "twin cities" in both the Old and New Testaments use them as a metaphor or simile for many types of bad behavior, by which we get more information about their nature and reputation. Sodom and Gomorrah are also frequently referenced as examples of total corruption, subject to God's wrath (Genesis 18:20; Deuteronomy 29:23; Isaiah 13:19; Jeremiah 49:18 and 50:40; Amos 4:11; Zephaniah 2: 9-10; Romans 9:29; 2 Peter 2:6-19), including by Jesus Himself (Matthew 10:15 and 11:24; Luke 10:12). Jesus was describing the fate of those cities refusing to hear the Gospel.

Some ill-informed Christian writers contend Sodom and Gomorrah really describes the consequences of being "poor hosts" to strangers, violating customs in the ancient near East. When one reads all the relevant Bible passages, such a pitiful and inadequate explanation is not possible.

Myth #4: REAL CHRISTIAN LOVE CALLS FOR ACCEPTANCE OF HOMOSEXUALITY. On the contrary, the authentic Christian is characterized by devotion to truth and love as revealed by Christ, not mushy sentimentality swayed by today's worldly trends. While Christ is often merciful even to those who have sinned, He never excuses sin or calls it less than what it is. John the Baptist's primary message to the world to prepare for Christ was not a call for tolerance; it was a call to repentance. (Matthew 3:2; Mark 1:4) Christ told the woman caught in adultery, "Go and sin no more." (John 8:11) Love as exemplified by Christ was always framed with His truth and righteousness. Christ said, "He who has my commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me." (John 14:21) and "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word." (John 14:23) Real love starts with love of Christ and all He taught.

The passage, "Judge not, that you be not judged" (Matthew 7:1) cautions us to judge carefully without hypocrisy, not to withhold judgment. Four verses later, Christ completes the thought with, "Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." (Matthew 7:5)

Myth #5: JESUS NEVER SAID ANYTHING ABOUT HOMOSEXUALITY. And Jesus is never quoted on the subjects of rape or wife beating either. Would that mean that these actions are okay? Christ was God on earth, and as such, was part of all the Old Testament teaching on sexual morality. The Jews were more than familiar with this, so there was a lot that didn't need to be said. And Christ specifically described marriage as being "from the beginning" between one man and one woman. (Matthew 19:4-6; Mark 10:6-9).There's no reason not to believe as the apostles did that sexual immorality still included homosexual acts.

Taken from the Ears to Hear website.



"Those who advocate full acceptance of homosexual behavior choose to downplay the growing and incontrovertible evidence regarding the serious, life-threatening health effects associated with the homosexual lifestyle." The Negative Health Effects of Homosexuality Issue No.: 232 by: Timothy J. Dailey, Ph. D.



I take it for certain that the physical satisfaction of homosexual desires is sin. This leaves the [homosexual] no worse off than any normal person who is, for whatever reason, prevented from marrying...Our speculations on the cause of the abnormality are not what matters and we must be content with ignorance. The disciples were not told why (in terms of efficient cause) the man was born blind (John 9:1-3): only the final cause, that the works of God [should] be made manifest in him. This suggests that in homosexuality, as in every other tribulation, those works can be made manifest i.e. that every disability conceals a vocation, if only we can find it --C. S. LEWIS, IN A LETTER TO SHELDON VANAUKEN

Watching Thunder

That's what we did yesterday! On a whim, Beaver and I and a couple of his pals went to Louisville for the opening event of Derby week, Thunder Over Louisville. The days begins on the Ohio River front portion of downtown Louisville with an air show and continues until the climax of the pyrotechnics power of an awesome fireworks display between two bridges! Thunder is aptly named; between the roar and rumble of jet engines and the booming barrage of the fireworks your ears get quite a workout!

We didn't arrive until 5:30, but thanks to my prayers, we found reasonably priced parking right away and walked the ten blocks or so to the river front. The air show was visible from any part of downtown and the fly-bys and aerobatics were amazing. I kept grabbing arms and saying "wouldja look at that!"

There were crowds, as I knew there would be. We scoped out where we thought we could find a spot and again, "the force" was with us as we found an little park area off the beaten path and actually had seats, albeit cement ones, and a really nice view of the fireworks. We actually had time to get to a Panera to eat a bite and when we came back our spot was still there.

And getting home was just as easy, crowds and all. We walked back to our parking spot and I saw the entrance to our highway a block away. I had envisioned a nightmare of traffic, but again we were good to go and home by 11:30!

It's A Slow Fade

Be careful little eyes what you see
It's the second glance that ties your hands as darkness pulls the strings
Be careful little feet where you go
For it's the little feet behind you that are sure to follow

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
It's a slow fade, it's a slow fade

Be careful little ears what you hear
When flattery leads to compromise, the end is always near
Be careful little lips what you say
For empty words and promises lead broken hearts astray

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day

The journey from your mind to your hands
Is shorter than you're thinking
Be careful if you think you stand
You just might be sinking

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
Daddies never crumble in a day
Families never crumble in a day

Oh be careful little eyes what you see
Oh be careful little eyes what you see
For the Father up above is looking down in love
Oh be careful little eyes what you see

Grass Roots vs. Community Organizing

What happened all across the United States yesterday gave me hope that Americans are still a thinking bunch of folks. The Tea Parties were held everywhere in cities and towns and that is what a grass roots movement is; average citizens waking up and saying we don't like what's happening in D.C. and we'd like to have our voices heard. Some of the media heard you better than others!

Grass Roots versus Community Organizing; genuine concern and action versus paid pandering!

Here We Go Again, Military Moves

Moving again, I mean. Only this time we might move off post. We can live on post and that's what we did the last time we were at Fort Leavenworth. But as the Beaver said, "Do we have to live in the drafty old run-down ghost ridden 4700 square foot historic house that sits overlooking the Missouri River?" Well, no, we don't. But that means house hunting and though it is a good time to buy with interest rates so low and the $8,000 tax credit; it's kind of hard to do on the internet!

I have been trying! And when we were there last week over spring break we actually looked at a few homes. Here's the thing, Ward and I can't decide if we should go for the dream house or go more modest. I'm for going more modest and still getting a very nice home, maybe smaller than Ward would like, but I'm thinking of our future. I'm not sure we need a 4300 square foot home when in two years the Beaver will be off to school. But I do want a place where everyone can fit when they visit all at the same time. (Including grandkids, hint, hint.)

Ward may be thinking, and rightfully so, that we have sacrificed a lot over the years living in less than ideal military quarters. We were a family of five squeezed into 1200 square feet at West Point! In Korea we survived monsoons, power outages, bugs and separate quarters (Ward lived two hours away). We've rented some nice places over the years, but the Army's allowance was never enough to cover our costs so we always took a beating when we rented.

The thing is we will probably retire in the Leavenworth area, so we probably should buy to get some equity built up. I'm for the smaller home in a nice established area, and Ward's looking at the upscale, good for entertaining, eat up the budget home! There must be a compromise in here somewhere!!

Stay tuned!

Can She Say That?

Star Parker can say what a lot of us think because she is black, and the media won't get all over her like they would us.

Gospel of dependence from National Urban League
Townhall.com ^ | March 30, 2009 | Star Parker


The National Urban League has just issued its annual State of Black America report. It provides a troubling statistical snapshot of where blacks stand today in our country.

Like Marc Morial, president of the National Urban League, I'm concerned. But after concern, we part company. We have very different ideas of what it is we should be concerned about.

Morial, I am sure, sees his organization as part of the solution. From what I see, it is a well-funded symptom of the problem.

Shouldn't it embarrass black Americans that one the nation's largest and most prestigious civil rights organizations offers a long list of proposals to improve black life in our country, and every single proposal is a government program?

Government funded jobs as the answer to unemployment, more government money in public schools, government health care, government business loans, government money for retirement accounts, government programs for counseling homebuyers, government worker training programs, government money for building construction, and on and on.

There's not a single proposal that I could find in a several hundred-page report about improving black life that does not start with government. The civil rights movement once was about freedom and liberation. Now it's about government dependency. We should be ashamed.

The report is crafted to disabuse any notion that since we now have a black president, our discrimination woes are "relics of the past." The proof: blacks are "twice as likely as whites to be unemployed, three times more likely to live in poverty and more than six times as likely to be incarcerated."

But with all the statistics reported, methodically ignored is that blacks are little more than 12 percent of the population, yet we account for 50 percent of new AIDS cases, almost 40 percent of abortions, and 70 percent of black babies are born to unwed mothers and grow up in single parent homes.

Please, hold the hate mail telling me that I only want to show the ugly side of black America. No, I want to show the side of black America for which we ourselves are responsible and which really point to where our problems lie.

The National Urban League report talks about black poverty. But it does not bother to point out that hand in hand with poverty are single-parent homes.

That black households with two married parents are not living in poverty and their household incomes are on par with those of white households.

Breakdown in family and values is at the root of poor education, unemployment, and crime as well.

Blacks have the highest church attendance in the country. If we paid attention to the gospel heard on Sunday, we wouldn't think that extorting welfare from taxpayers was the answer to our problems the other six days of the week.

Regarding discrimination, you have to wonder what it will take to get off this convenient excuse. Some 40 million white Americans voted for Barack Obama for president. That is two million more white Americans than voted for John Kerry in 2004.

As the civil rights movement transformed into a government dependency movement, the original focus on law and the U.S. constitution as the vehicles to protect all citizens has been lost.

My friend Pastor Walter Hoye sits in jail in Oakland, California for violating a clearly unconstitutional city ordinance prohibiting him from peacefully standing in front of an abortion clinic offering life literature to the mostly black clientele.

A black pastor's civil rights have been violated as he tried to save black babies. It happened in the district of Congresswoman Barbara Lee, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. Yet, she could care less and has done nothing. The National Urban League could care less. The NAACP could care less.

What's wrong in black America? You won't find the answer in the National Urban League's report.

Profanity--It's Not Just For Sailors Anymore

Or farewell to the ingenue, that naive, innocent girl of yesteryear who would no more let a *bleep* pass her lips than . . . well I couldn't say that out loud! Because the Beaver has many teen friends I have been made aware of this phenomenon which I liken to as a brazen assault on the civility of the spoken word.

What I hear, and see in printed messages, is a new model of language filled with conversational flatulence of extreme expletives, obscenities, vulgarities and all manner of guttural language.

What these young adults aren't aware of is that what comes out of the mouth is a reflection of what goes on in the head; it reveals the character of the speaker. What becomes obvious is that they are mere lemmings following the group over the proverbial cliff; not realizing that cursing becomes a habit and the pandemic potty mouth soon becomes a vitriolic toxic waste dump not easily cleaned up.

Please don't tell me this is all a harmless phase teens go through. This is a reflection of our culture being manifested in our young people. And the words reflect an attitude--a kind of pathos, towards mankind. I followed the written account of a particular young lady(?) and she was very proud of her mean-spirited attack on a peer launched with no substance other than a volley of hostile and crude words. The scary part was that she knew she had made him feel small but excused her own behavior by saying he deserved it.

Again, for all of you who use profanity, and consider it harmless I ask: What good does it do? I'll agree that it is a part of our lexicon and for use in extreme situations. I can think of one account when Ward used it to great affect. His men were not accustomed to hearing cursing from their commander; when after being up for almost two days without rations, hearing that a superior officer was going to hold said rations, this young officer let loose with a string of expletives that he didn't even know he possessed! The superior officer apologized, sent the rations, and told Ward never to do that again.

But for the current generation of epidemic potty mouths what are we to do? There is help and I found it online! Look at Cuss Control Academy or pick up Cuss Control: The Book, by Jim O'Connor. Still not convinced? Look at this excerpt from the site:


What's Wrong With Swearing?

Swearing Imposes a Personal Penalty
It gives a bad impression
It makes you unpleasant to be with
It endangers your relationships
It's a tool for whiners and complainers
It reduces respect people have for you
It shows you don't have control
It's a sign of a bad attitude
It discloses a lack of character
It's immature
It reflects ignorance
It sets a bad example

Swearing is Bad for Society
It contributes to the decline of civility
It represents the dumbing down of America
It offends more people than you think
It makes others uncomfortable
It is disrespectful of others
It turns discussions into arguments
It can be a sign of hostility
It can lead to violence

Swearing corrupts the English language
It's abrasive, lazy language
It doesn't communicate clearly
It neglects more meaningful words
It lacks imagination
It has lost its effectiveness


Even if your friends and associates commonly use cuss words, you will be perceived as more mature, intelligent, articulate, polite, considerate and pleasant if you control your language and the emotions that typically prompt expletives. You can choose to have character and class, or be considered rude, crude and crass.