6/23/2025 Lifting the Bell

        So for now 2 years, I've been working out with the 20 pound dumbell. Most of 24 I scaled it back. Doing 70 reps with the left arm and 55 with the right, per day. Doing some more lesser reps once in awhile. The slight wrinkles in biceps are still there.  Now I'm doing 65 reps with the left arm and 40 reps with the right. Then I do 30 with the right and 40 with the left. Then repeat. In 2 weeks I see quick inprovement with the bicep. I do the exercises at home. The more reps you do will have a bigger payoff. Just don't over do it. As long as you do something every day or every other day. Ar least you will maintain what you got. After 2 years I'm pleased how it is working out. The smaller reps seem to be the charm. Building muscle and flexible exercises protects your bones & joints. A new exercise is holding the dumbell vertical. My left  & right fingers wrap under the bell held between my legs when sitting. I rest my arms on the thighs. Then I lower the weight up snd down til a count of 25. This exercise does a lot of good. I do 2 reps per day. Another exercise is to lift the bell over your head while standing lock your elbow when overhead and hold to a count of 50 for each arm.

      I still do the stretches with the open door frame for my back in which I discussed in a previous blog. I do it in the morning when I get up. It takes the little kinks out and I'm good for the day. When doing exercises try different things. Always go slow and if feeling a twinge of pain stop. It also wise to see a doctor and get checked out for sny potential problems. Doctors can't do everything but by listening to them you can extend your life. My father fell shory by 1 week shy of 92. He listened to his doctors. No one in his family ever made it to their 90s. He got himself an extra 6 years. Compared to his brothers.

6/17/2025 More on Breed

        A long time ago I envisioned myself atop Breed's Hill on this day. June 17th at 6 am. The explosions heard in Boston went on all day. The sounds came across the Charles River. According to a domestic servant the sounds were horrific. As well as the black smoke from the city of Charlestown burning. It was the most terrifying day she ever went through. She recalled many years later. 

       I didn't make it here. Oh well. One day I hope to someday.  The colonials lost the battle but won the war. They put fear into the souls of the regulars, as well as the brass. Attacking fortified positions was a mistake not to be repeated by the British. Caution would enter into play. This caution prevented them from pushing the envelope in future engagements.  There is a balance between caution and out right aggressiveness. They the Brits failed to walk this tight rope. Thanks to this day 250 years ago. 

       The 20th century rolls around and we were there to help our hated adversary out in 2 world wars. You never know in life. The worm can turn. In warfare as well as our own lives we have to strike that balance between aggressiveness and caution.  Fortunately we have a helper in DS ( Divine spirit. It is ours if we seek it out.

       This day above all others was a single day that changed the course of world history. A great nation arose atop this hill. This nation would be a force of good. A nation that would keep the world out of tyrany. Growing pains along the way sure. I believe God's plan was behind the US. He foresaw what was coming down the pike. Trust in God first, form that connection. It is on our money In God we trust, don't just think of it as a slogan. But something that is lived on a daily basis.

6/17/2025 BREEDS HILL

        250 years ago, this battle happened. The British won but at a great expense to them. This is what happens when you attack a fortified position head on. Plus the Redcoats had to march up the hill in a abreast formation. They went up in formation but on the way back down it was every man for himself. Total chaos. Plus the hill was ringed in smoke from gun powder and the town of Charlestown  which was up in flames due to naval bombardment in the morning. Over a thousand casualties happened to the Redcoats. Which includes dead and wounded. Of those 1,000 men almost 10 percent were officers. The Brits couldn't believe it. Never in their military history did they suffer such a loss. Needless to say they learned from their mistakes that occured on this day. One thing they did not unlearn was their contempt and arrogance. Which would cost them dearly throughout the war.

       These minutemen were mostly farmers and tradesmen. And they all knew how to handle a musket. There was no US and no army. After Breeds Hill an army started to form. It was down to 2 men to lead the Continental Army, George Washington and Horatio Gates. George won out. Thank God for that.  So back to Bunker Hill, the militia was told to secure Bunker Hill. As men were digging in, some of them said it was too far back from the Charles River let's go to the smaller hill over there. They were not officers. They were free thinkers. Most of the men followed them to Breed's Hill. Others stayed on Bunker Hill following orders. These free thinkers wound up shattering the Brits invicibility. Even though the Brits won, it damaged them psychologically. If the defenders of Breeds Hill had not run out of ammo, the Brits would have had to give up the mission.

       Lexington and Concord the minute men hid behind buildings and fences and trees. They took pot shots at the Brit phalanx. And harresed them back to Boston. This time they stood their ground. They took on the number 1 military in the world and put fear into their souls. This battle was a turning point in world history.  We postioned ourselves to be of help to the world in WW1 and WW2. Without the US, Germany would of won.

       And now we are once again at a turning point, a big one. For a house divided will surely fall. That cosequence will make it very difficult for all of us.

6/3/2025 Spinning Wheel

        Well, another fail when it comes to living in the moment. This one was scary. I was in a Panda restraurant parking lot. Phone rings it's  my wife. I say some words and drive off, right over a curb that I parked next to. The curb is 6 inches high. The car bottoms out a top the curb. So this curb surrounds a pit about 3 ft deep with some sorry looking plants at the bottom.  There are 3 pits in this parking lot. Why. I have no idea. There is a mixture of light gray rocks  from two hand held size down to 2 inches in diameter. My car is front wheel drive. And it's the front right tire that turns while in gear. Under that front wheel tire is a foot of air. No traction. Totally stuck. I'm thinking my transmission is finished. See a big plumbing truck nearby ask them if they got a chain or rope. Nope. Call the service station, but they don't have a wrecker. He gives me the service they use. Call him & it's 145 to come get me. I say how about 45. Nope.  Ok, I did what I could do now it's up to you DS,  need some help here. Text my wife's son. He comes out. We hook up binding straps to each car's hitch points. I say it's going to break. He moved me a foot then strap broke. A guy comes over and offers to help. I say thanks. So we try to build up the depression with rocks. Two other Spanish guys come over. We build a small rock road for the tire. The tire keeps spinning, no good. We tried differing ways but tire kept spinning. I dug out the spare donut which is a small tire. We jam it under the front tire. Still spins. After 20 minutes of that. I have my step son go to auto parts store yo get me a tow rope. I go to trunk and get the fabric rug that covers floor in trunk and shove it between the tire and the donut. I press down on fender with the other guy and keep the tire engaged with the fabric. Success.

       The car is ok. My first thought when it happened, was game over. A negative thought. My mind went right to that. But then I regrouped and started to think of ways to fix this. When my ways failed I called on DS. 5 min later the first guy showed up.  Then the other 2 guys. Thank-you guys and DS!  I always believe you help out people stranded on the road.  So I got caught between a curb and a hard place. And through DS I got from under it. The whole process took a little over an hour. So it didn't cost me this time to remedy my problem.

       It's  been a tough past 2 years. Constant problems, seems like 1 right after the other. It gets exhausting, but what are you going to do. Can't  quit. I think on the people of Eastern Ukraine and I say to myself, I can deal with my troubles.

5/26/2025 ?FREEDOM?

        Keeping a fox out of the hen house is an ongoing affair when it comes to chickens. Also the many other predators. You have something good and something is trying to take it away. You have to get creative if you want to hold onto your eggs. As well as determined. Trial and error comes into play.  There's  no quit here. You get the job done.

        Democracy is fragile. Our founders recognized this. When George Washington neared the end of his 8 years as president his suppoters wanted him to stay on. He said What??? After we spent 8 years trying to remove a King. You want to install a new one?  

       Memorial Day is about those guys giving up on their dreams so that future generations could have a better life. Why would they do this? Perhaps it was for an idea that propelled them into action. An idea that would wreck their own dreams. To them they understood what it was to be really free. The word here is empathy. Empathy comes from Greek word pathos. Without empathy, what do you have? Isolation perhaps.

       Today think on what freedom means to you?  And why you like it.

5/22/2025 Say Cheese

        This article is about food. I buy these discount sliced bread loafs for 75 cents at Wallmart. It's like Italian bread. They use to be 69 cents. So I lightly toast it. Then I spread herb basil tomatoes on top from a can. Then I cut the swiss cheese         ( has lower salt than most cheeses) in slices to lay on top. I then put in a 1100 watt microwave  for 20 to 25 secs. Let it cool for a minute and your done. A mini no fuss grilled cheese. Done in less than 5 minutes. I use it for snacks or even a main meal. Also way cheaper than a pizza. Get creative with all aspects in your life. Try new things, experiment. You never know what you'll find unexpectedly.

5/14/2025. Oh...There's a Pill for That

        I have a pill minder. It's roundish with 7 days. I fill it on Sunday. During the week I leave the day filled if I forgot to take them. On Sunday I then can see how may days I missed. Last week I missed 2 days, usually if I miss, it's just 1 day. So not too mindful last week. But that's ok. Today I made 2 hard boiled eggs. As I was bringing a few pieces of shell to the other side to dump them in the garbage can, at the last second I reclosed my hand, they go in the jar for the compost. That was good mindfulness. When you get a handle on the little things it helps you with the bigger issues in your life.

       Different subject,  I had a problematic situation going on. I did the best I could with it. Wasn't always successful. So then I remembered to call on DS with this problem. It helped giving me less grief. I should of did this months ago. From now on no matter what the situation, I'm calling on DS. It's there to help us. So use it.

       So far my car situation is better. This is something I am greatfull for. It took awhile. Sometimes things or situations get handled quickly and sometimes it doesn't. When it doesn't, don't give up on it. Get even more creative. If you are trying to get others to do what you want, don't push them. Let them be and let them draw their own conclusions. My 3rd problem has been ongoing for 10 days. So far, no resolution. When given a pill that's  hard to swallow, keep trying, it will go down eventually.