Just a quick Happy Birthday to my eldest. 

I look around and see many other fathers and I wonder if I did ok trying to raise the kids as I served in the Navy and later in the Postal Service. I didn't have to serve at sea a whole lot as my job was shore and ship based. 36 in seagoing duties and 36 in shore based. Moving every three or four years is rough on adults and even more so on children. I am astounded that my wife could love me enough to manage the moves and the times I was deployed, and still does after two retirements. Now here I am, back where I started from and now with Rose Marie, a cat and a dog. My children have given me twelve grand-kids ( so far ). Since I have retired again I haven't had to bail any of the above from jail, so that is good. 

So my eldest, happy birthday. My middlest, thank you for your service. My youngest, thank you for loving me, even though I was on the coast of Spain when you were born. I love you all.

Momma through the years. I guess you can blame me for SOME of the gray hairs.....





Of course, she had help. Grandma (Daddy's Momma), Dee (Momma's Mom), Aunt Jo, and Aunt Cherry all had a big influence when I was young. Then later there were other mothers that I "adopted" over the years and around the country. Aunt Al took me in when I was last on sea duty. Mom (aka Shirley Buckman) holds a special place in my heart and mind for he unconditional love she shared with me. Sister Pearl was a steadying influence after I retired. There were many other "Moms" through the years that gave me a lift through a kind word or three, mothers to many of my friends and so on. God has been exceptionally kind to me through these many ladies of faith and I want to give all of them and especially Him praise and thanks for the love you have shared with me.

What the divvil

So many things continue to change, yet mankind doesn't. I don't think of myself as a racist because I reject the term as a classification. It is the most inflammatory label one can assign, and being what the world calls a white boy, most of the world would slap that label on me faster than a stamp on a "guaranteed prize winning" envelope. Do I believe people of color are inherently below, above, or even with me? I don't believe people of color exist. I leave it at just people. I value or disregard people by how the act and what they do. If you don't want to be "judged" by me, then stay away from me completely. I assess threat, benefit, commonality and a myriad of  other quantification factors. I know people of similar ancestral background that I have confidence, trust and generally likeable. I know others of that same grouping of people that I wish to have absolutely no contact with them at all. I find the same thing true of various groups of people. I know of kinfolk that fall into all major groupings and many of the sub-groupings. Yes, I have kinfolk that are black, white, red, yellow and mixtures of all of the above. A person's value is determined by what they say and especially what they do, how they treat others. There is no place on this earth where it is ok to mistreat women, children, or men, religiously or politically. No group of laws that has ever been assembled have been better for mankind than those ten Moses (Musa, and many other ways of putting his name) brought down written in stone. We cannot improve on them, only dilute them to our detriment.

What does love mean? Learn from the best. Learn how to love truly. The truest and greatest love is the Love that desires that which is best for the loved one. Not the blindly give what they ask for, but give what is truly needed for true happiness. That simple and that complicated. Read the instruction book. It tells you the truth.

Well now. 18%, or was it 13%? Way to go people. This is why this country is dead and doesn't know it. Less than 20% of the people making the decision for everyone. You vote (maybe) when it is something blasted by the media but when it is more important you stay home. Well, now you gonna die, figuratively I hope. Your wallet is destined to suffer the slings and arrows of a government that thinks most highly of itself, demanding more (10.5%) than many say the Creator calls us to give. Those pushing to liberalize this government are trying to model us after the socialism of Europe. Now why, then, are the only ones who migrate to there are the radical pigs of the false prophet who seek world domination. And those who feel the pressure are STILL seeking the "American" dream of freedom, that will no longer be here.

I don't feel or think or really even wish that this is the "perfect" country. Nor do I believe that this country can be truly great again. Sin is too prevalent and the laws of motion are still not revoked by the Creator, so even social momentum is a real thing and that momentum is bent on going until it reaches the Immovable Object. Of course it will fail then and rebound. I fear it will be too late. Life will go on, I have no doubt. There will be those astounded that they can truly live and others that will continue to exist, but not the way they would desire.

But for the time being, we are faced with a choice in presidential wannabees of which NONE get an "adequate" rating from Possum Hollow, only a couple get a "tolerable if there is nothing else to vote for and Mickey won't run" category, and several in the "we are doomed" column. We should also title the ballots. My suggestion would be, and I quote: "You Have GOT To Be Kidding Me". I am not sure if we can even find a descent, really honest person who would be willing to endure the torture that media would inflict. I don't think I would want to put anyone in that position. Even an enemy.