Signs of Autumn

 

Aaron Burden / Unsplash

I sensed movement outside my window yesterday and looked around, expecting to see a bird. Instead, I saw a leaf falling to the ground. It wasn't the first -- I told you about the leaf that came to call last week -- but it was a reminder, along with the nippiness in the air, that it really is autumn. 

Summer has departed, both officially and realistically, taking with it its soaring temperatures. Now, high temperatures are a brief foray into the low-80s, due to make an appearance this weekend or early next week. For now, the daytime highs are ranging between the low- and mid-70s, while nighttime lows are dipping into the low-40s.

October usually brings rain. We need it, but I pray that it comes without the thunderstorms and tornadoes that too often mark the change of seasons from hot to cold and from cold to hot. When we lived in Northern Virginia, October rain was slow, steady, and cold! By the last day of October, the last leaf had fallen, and by the middle of November, we might well have seen the first snowfall.

Hopefully, we won't see that kind of weather here. I donated my heavy wool coat to the homeless when we were in South Louisiana. There, sweaters and jackets sufficed for very nearly the entire winter, although that particular winter was very cold. I pray that the coat made that winter just a little bit more bearable for someone.

About the picture, it reminds me of something an Air Force colonel told me our first autumn in Northern Virginia. I was completely stricken by the beauty of the changing leaves. I'd never seen such vibrant colors before. He agreed that Virginia has beautiful autumns but not nearly as beautiful as his native New York autumns. But, then, he agreed that Virginia has more beautiful spring times with the glorious blossoms on their fruit trees. I couldn't argue with him on that point.

 

Written September 29, 2022

Prepping for Whatever May Come

Sidney Riggs / Unsplash

 

An official "cold" front came through last night, complete with thunder and lightning and, yes, some much-needed rain. And all the world said, "Ah-h-h!"

We've been working on our prepper plans. With the scale of the project threatening to launch into outer space, we found it necessary to scale it back to preparing for two weeks without public utilities or access to groceries. With the changing weather patterns, it seems necessary to have more than the two flashlights and transistor radio that my dad kept for such events.

We nearly have enough canned food and water and have purchased electric candles (probably need more) for lighting, as well as a solar-powered emergency radio. Small bits and pieces are on hand, as well; all will be merged with our existing first-aid kit and hurricane supplies from our years in South Louisiana.

We still need to purchase a propane heater to sit on the hearth of our unusable fireplace (needs work) and a portable power station to run a two-burner cooktop (already here) and a 12-volt fridge (yet to be purchased). It also should allow me to use my computer in short spurts, although if the power is out, so will the Internet be out. Alas!

Here's the interesting part: Along the way, it has been necessary to research how people lived in the days before households had a ready supply of electricity and water. If our ancestors could see us now . . . Go ahead, ancestors. Have a good laugh.

On the bright side, a little bird came to visit me on Friday morning. He was scouting about for his breakfast and stopped to say hello before he checked to see whether the junipers held anything of interest. The birds and squirrels left during the heat of the summer. I'm hoping they will return and have ordered a squirrel feeder to supplement the bird feeder, as well as feed for both. That will be my project this autumn. Still needed: a bird bath and a shepherd's hook to support the feeders.

 

Written:  September 25, 2022

One of the Hardest Lessons to Learn

 

Ethan Johnson / Unsplash

The workforce tells us that we should fight hard to make our way to the top of the career ladder. No matter what is required, we should aim for the highest position and the largest salary possibly attainable.

There's just one problem with that methodology -- or philosophy, if you will.  It causes us to become insensitive to the people around us. We begin looking down on those whose scramble to the top isn't as quick or as successful as ours. We stop trying to help newcomers learn the ropes, telling ourselves, "Well, no one helped me!" If we are honest with ourselves, we can remember times when someone did help us.

Interestingly, as we get older, we come to realize that competition in the workforce really isn't about ranks and salaries. It's about how we did our jobs. Did we do our very best or just enough to get by? Did we lend a helping hand or a word of encouragement, or did we hang onto that "Well, no one helped me!" approach?

Stop and take a few minutes to make a list of your accomplishments. Then, pick out the ones where your competition was not against your coworkers, but against yourself. Did you do better today than you did yesterday? Did you turn out a better product this year than you did last year? Did you return to work a few minutes late after lending a helping hand? 

Remember: No one ever won a race by looking back to see how the competition was doing. As the old saw goes, be nice to the people you pass on the way up; they are the people you'll meet on your way back down.

How Can We Help?

Rodnae Productions / Pexels 

No matter when or where a war occurs, its veterans return home with battle scars. Some are physical scars; some are emotional. In the past, emotional scars were known as shell shock and battle fatigue. Today, when more is known about it, it is known as post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD for short. It means the veteran has experienced or witnessed things no human being ever should have to experience or witness.
These veterans may withdraw into their own shells. They may become abusive, as though they are still fighting the battle. Some may be forced to leave home, either by a landlord or a divorce. To cope, these veterans have been known to turn to alcohol, and drugs. In any case, they fall too often into a dark hole from which some never emerge.
The actor Jack Lord understood what these veterans were going through. He had experienced some of the same problems in his war, World War II. His ship was torpedoed and sank in seven minutes. He was one of few to make it to a lifeboat. He saw others go down with the ship. He experienced physical scars from the ordeal, such as the scar beside his right eye. He experienced emotional scars, such as the way he appeared in the final scene of "When Does a War End?" (Hawaii Five-0, Season 10. Leonard Freeman Productions / CBS Television, 1978). Jack served recovering veterans at Tripler Army Hospital (now, Medical Center). As a prominent figure in the No Greater Love program, he visited on a regular basis. He gave a speech and spoke with the veterans. His words and efforts touched others deeply.
Not everyone in need is a veteran. We have women and children who have been abused and are homeless. Some sleep in their cars; some sleep in cardboard boxes. They find food hard to come by; food stamps don't go as far as they should, after all. They find jobs hard to come by; after all, one must have a permanent mailing address (no post office box numbers allowed) in order to apply for work.
And we call ourselves the wealthiest nation in the world? Maybe our wallets are thick, but our hearts are shrinking steadily. Let's see what we can do to turn things around. 
One of the greatest areas of need right now is homes for those who have been displaced -- and they are many, especially since the pandemic began in 2020. Communities don't like RV parks and tiny houses. They don't like charitable organizations to erect cabins to help the homeless. 
Yet, when properly managed to see that residents receive the care they need, as well as roofs over their heads, they can be highly successful. Finland, for example, has virtually wiped out homelessness. Take a look at this video: How Finland Ended Homelessness - YouTube.
Give it some thought.

We Remember

Department of Defense (public domain)

For me, the greatest loss was at the Pentagon. Some twelve years earlier, I worked there, although on the opposite side of the building. Army and Navy were most seriously affected; I worked for the Air Force. 

I rode the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) to work with some of those who were injured and killed. One of the fatalities was from my hometown. He was much younger than I and grew up in another part of town than I, so we did not know each other, but I still mourn his passing. Four others were from the town where I lived in Virginia. One of those four survived but with terribly severe burns over a large part of his body.

Fatalities at the Pentagon, including passengers on American Airlines flight 77, numbered 184. The youngest was 3 years old; the oldest was 71 years old. They came from all walks of life, from civilian, contract, and enlisted personnel through several senior officers to a vice admiral. They hailed from all around the country and from as far away as Japan.

On Friday after the attack, I rode the VRE to downtown DC. As we passed a field not far from the Pentagon, we still could see smoke rising into the overcast and gloomy sky. September 11, 2001 had been a beautiful, crisp, clear, sunny day. That sounds backwards, doesn’t it?

No, I will never forget.

An Ideal Retirement -- or Not?

Pinterest

Some 10 or 12 years ago, several of us wrote about moving to the places of our dreams. A friend wanted to retire to France. I wanted to retire to Hawaii. We were ready to take up bag and baggage and head out the door.

I know I would want to find a way to live on Oahu. The little grass shacks are gone, now, but I would need to live in the closest thing to one. Specifically, I imagine I would be living in a small studio apartment. No, it would not be as adorable as Mary Richards' attic apartment on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, but I would make it as cute as I possibly could.

No, I would not have a view of the ocean, unless it was a tiny sliver of blue as seen between other buildings, but I would throw open the sliding glass doors and enjoy the trade winds and the delicious aroma of tropical flowers. I would fill the lanai nearly to overflowing with palms and monstera and even a bird of paradise or two to create my own interpretation of a tiny house in a rainforest.

What about you? How would your retirement dreams have panned out?

 

On Teapots and Coffee Pots

Pixabay

 

King Charles III has his work cut out for him as No. 10 Downing Street acquires a new resident.

Politics have moved beyond a simmer to a rolling boil -- on both sides of the pond. Once upon a time -- back in the 18th century -- discussions were held over whether George Washington should be known as King George I. The decision was made that he should be known as President Washington. Was it a good decision to skip the royal rank and have government begin with the American equivalent to prime minister?

The answer to that question seems to change with the weather. On occasion, one has to wonder whether life would be kinder and gentler if America had a royal to temper the goings on, on Capitol Hill. Of late, it has seemed that not even Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has been able to keep the lid on the UK's political teapot.

Will King Charles III be able to turn down the heat? We hope and pray so, just as we continue to hope and pray that the American voters and their representatives will be able to turn down the heat under their political coffee pot.

God bless Great Britain's new king, and God bless America. Something tells me the world is going to need strong leadership from both in the coming years.

Be well, be happy, be safe. Keep the faith! Keep the peace!

Rest in Peace

Geralt / Pixabay

With heartfelt sorrow, we mourn the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. She served so well, not just Great Britain and the Commonwealth Nations, but, in so many ways, the entire world. May the Lord be with her as she rejoins her beloved Prince Philip for all eternity.

Preparing for an Uncertain Future

 

"For the beauty of the earth"

(Folliott S. Pierpoint, 1864)

Bill and Elizabeth Keller (Live Simple, Live Free on YouTube) posit that, in these uncertain times, we need to prepare to live in two worlds. On the one hand, we need to be able to live as we have been. On the other hand, however, we need to prepare ourselves to live in world in which everything collapses, and we find ourselves in a world of chaos.

That might sound extreme until we consider all that has happened in the past two years: First, that darn virus attacked, put people out of work, and cut off the supply chain for many goods and services. This year, Putin attacked one of his own states, one that had done him no harm. This summer, we have faced inflationary prices for food, gasoline, energy, as well as continued interruptions in the supply chain. We have also experienced excessively high temperatures, damaging wildfires, flooding, and tornadoes.

We know how to live as we have been. Let's move on to the second world, the one where everything collapses, and we must go on alone. We have to provide our own food, water, and utilities to say nothing about gasoline, clothing, and medicine. The list goes on, of course. 

We can buy a portable power station, such as a Bluetti or Jackery, to name but two. We can erect a tank to collect rainwater and a filtering system, such as Berky, for making our collected water safe to drink. We can grow our own food -- assuming the weather allows it, which it did not this year (Due to the dry heat, my husband got only a dozen tomatoes and two squashes from his garden this year. So sad). We can install a wood-burning stove for heat and a propane stove for cooking. As far as managing our investments, we can buy fixed assets, such as gold, silver, and real estate. 

Ah! But that is not all we need to invest in. We also need to invest in our spiritual welfare. We all tend to slip a bit when it comes to keeping our souls in proper working order. In a world that is all about dog-eat-dog and pursuing the rat race, it is easy to forget why Jesus came -- to die for our sins, so we might be forgiven -- and think Easter is only about bunny rabbits and colored eggs. Bunny rabbits and the critters that lay those eggs won't be able to save us when we enter the end times. Many people think we're already in the end times, but of course, only our Heavenly Father knows when the end will come. We do know this: We don't want to be lost or in a situation where we must endure eternity without our Heavenly Father's love.

Give it some thought. Then, take a look at these scriptures, which Bill and Elizabeth Keller suggested:

*   Revelations 6:5 refers to hyper-inflation of food costs.
*  Revelations 6:7 tells us that one-fourth of the earth will die by either the sword, famine, or a plague.
*  Romans 12:17-18 tells us to do all we can to live in peace with everyone.
*  1 Timothy 2:2-6 tells us that, even as we live peacefully, we need to remember to proclaim Jesus as our savior and to pray for our world leaders so we can live peacefully and marked in godliness and dignity.

Thanks be to God, O Christ. Amen.

Simpler, More Affordable Living? Really!?!

Jill Wellington / Pexels

Once upon a time, I had a website that I called "The Wordsmith's Page." It showcased my books and my editing service. In time, it came to serve as an outlet for my articles and even a few photographs. The picture, above, was the banner photograph.

If I were to categorize my shorter works, I would have to say they can be said to be related to the Cottagecore interior design style. It is a style that harkens back to the days of yore, when we imagine life was much simpler than it is today. It is a picnic on a red checkered tablecloth. It is rooms filled with vintage furniture, lots of books, and lots of clutter. It is popping corn over an open fire. In short, it is a style and a lifestyle that make one feel warm and cozy.

Except that I tended to put a problem-solving twist on my articles. They were about finding affordable ways for seniors to live. These days, I would need to amend my articles to include others who find themselves downsized out of the workplace. They exist in much larger numbers than we might think, and they find themselves having to live in their cars, remodeled SUVs, campervans, and even travel trailers that sometimes are older than they are. 

It may seem wonderfully romantic to turn a cargo van into a home or to build a tiny house and take off down the highway. Sadly, many problems go along with it, especially high gasoline prices, personal safety, and the never-ending question of where one can park legally. It seems that not all jurisdictions are happy to receive these nomads. 

Nor are jurisdictions happy to receive tiny houses, which are too heavy to be towed by affordable vehicles. They are also quite expensive to obtain, with costs averaging between $30,000 and $60,000 for a mere 100 to 400 square feet. That works out to between $150 and $300 per square foot. Factor in the cost of the towing vehicle, taxes, and insurance, and we can see why fewer people are able to afford the tiny house option.

As can be expected, since Quartzsite, Arizona, isn't the ideal campground beyond the winter months, our nomads are exploring other options. So will we. We will see that, again, many jurisdictions are not accepting these options, no matter how well designed and decorated they may be.

More later.

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SIDEBAR

Beware of old mobile housing options. A couple lost their 1970s campervan when a gasoline leak caused a blaze that reduced their home to rubble in a matter of minutes. The generally accepted advice is to buy the newest that you possibly can afford.

Watch it on YouTube: Our Campervan Is Destroyed | Scariest Day Of Van Life - YouTube

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Labor Day 2022

 

Source:  Viarami / Pixabay

Okay! Let's see if I can write a post.

Yes, I'm a writer. In fact, it seems as though I always have to be writing something or I don't know what to do with myself. I've written several books, published more than half of them; created several websites, including one that is still thriving after thirteen years; and even allowed myself to write the occasional rant.

Let's face it: I enjoy writing. No, I do not use a typewriter, not anymore, although I bought my first typewriter before I even knew how to type. I bought my first computer when personal computers were still in their infancy. It was a Tandy Model 4. Nice idea, but where was I supposed to store what I wrote? If it had internal memory, I never found it. That came with my next computer, a Tandy 1000. Since then, I've purchased a new computer just about every seven years. Statistically, that would make this my sixth. One lasted only two years, if you can believe that! What a shame: I really liked that computer. Oh, well . . .

Am I a good writer? I would say my non-fiction is better than my fiction, except that my readers have given glowing reviews of my fiction. I can say this: It's much easier to write non-fiction, because it gives me solid facts to hold onto. I know. I know. I just ended a sentence with a preposition. Shame on me!