6/18/2023 Father's. Day

       I grew up with the best father in the world. For that I'm very grateful. I thought when I was young everyone had a great father. Later on I learned that it was far from the truth. Unfortunately  for this world. With loving parents this world would be quite different. If you see strife in the family, well of course it will exist throughout the land. The sins of the father or mother are passed on to the kids.  Who then perpetrate them onto their kids.

      I was at a sotrta friend's house a long time ago. We were in the backyard, beautiful manicured green grass. He kept it immaculate. So we were talking and his 9 year old did something minor. John booted the kid in the butt for it. Took the kid by surprise. I said John don't do that. He says why not. I say because it's  not right. What an idiot asshole I think to myself. A couple weeks later I'm working at our factory and 2 old timers are there. I told them about John. They say you know why he did that. I say NO. Because  that's what his father did to him. Now I get it. Not an asshole but a victim who passes it along like an unwanted cold. But we can say to ourselves I have a choice to belike my parent or to see that change and say no not today. Today I change the script up. I choose kindness from this day hence.

       My friend Tom had an abusive dad. He lamented it. He said your family was very different from my own. He was about to start a new family with his wife. I said to him now is your chance to do something different. You will become the better patriarch to embark on a new branch of the family tree. Learn from the past. But live in the NOW

      To the loving fathers everywhere, keep up the good works. You create change in this world by your acts.

6/17/2023 Yep ... it's Breed's Hill Day

      Two things they got wrong, 1) not Battle of Bunker Hill, it's Breed's Hill.  Two)  the background color of colonist's flag was red not blue. 

     After this day, there would be no going back to a "normal life".

      Oh,  the colonists lost this battle but not after putting a big hurt on the number 1 military power in the world at that time.

      1500 colonists were told to put a redoubt (earthen fort)  on Bunker Hill on the Charlestown peninsula. The purpose was to keep an eye on the Boston Harbour. To tally British activity in the harbour.  Bunker Hill was at the base of  Charlestown peninsula, it was also the biggest Hill there.  It's just about midnight on June 16 th. Some of the men look over to Breed's Hill and say we can see more from over there.  It's closer to the city.  So they go over there instead. Free thinkers. You dig here on Bunker Hill. Nope not doing it, sorry.  Breed's Hill it is then. Dig ,dig they did. First light British War ships see the breast work atop and down the hill. They unleash their cannons at the Hill. Many men said I had my fill of this and retreated away from the cannon fire. By the time the battle started they were down to 700 men.

      Now the musket was not that accurate. It would shoot a large ball about 175 yards. The ball could travel from a ft high to 7 ft high. By firing together  at the same time. You would send out a wall of lead. That equals no chance for you if you are within 175 yards of the gun's muzzle. Col Prescott said don't shoot til you see the whites of the regular's (British soldiers were called that by the colonists) eyes. Now some say Prescott  said don't shoot till you see the colors of their eyes. But that doesn't make sense. Since the whites are really the light's of the eye. The white reflects light better than the darks. 

      The British cannon caused a fire in Charlestown which was slightly to the north of Breed's Hill.  The colonists looking down the Hill would see Charlestown to their right.  The British suspected that since weather usually goes west to east it would cover the hill in smoke. Not this day though, for some unknown reason it went north. Good for the colonists. Their good luck or divine intervention happened again during the retreat from Long Island NY to  NYC. A fog helped in George Washington's escape. The cause might of ended there except for that fortuitous fog. George was able to use many boats to get his army across the river cloaked by the fog.

       When the regulars were disembarking just below the fort. The guy in charge of 2 cannon was told to take the cannon out of fort and harass the redcoats at the shore. He left the fort and kept on going back to Cambridge MA. Oh   well. The British organized 2 wings,  the 2nd went along the mystic river the other proceeded from the south east. This group would experience a horror that would last them the rest of their lives.

      As the regulars in their red wool tunics marched up the in a horizontal line though the tall grass, they saw upclose what was to befall them.  Once they crossed the 175 yard line they heard a crescendo of musket fire. The lead was so thick it cut them down like a swift sword. The smoke from the musket fire covered the hill. Acrid smoke and screams permeated the spring air. Down they went what was left of them double time. No marching lines this time. It's every man for himself. Back to the shore they went. The captains reformed the ranks and they did the same thing. Round 2:  The same thing happened but this time climbing up the hill they had to sidestep the dead and wish they were dead fellow soldiers. They went back to the shore line and regrouped for round number 3.  But this time the colonist's were out of musket balls. Rule number 1 you can never have enough ammo. They broke that rule. And on the 3rd try the regulars entered the redoubt with bayonets glinting in the hot sun. It was hand to hand fighting. The soul of the colonist contingent fell dead.  Joseph Warren a medical doctor who was a family man and a firebrand for the cause. He was just made a general. When he heard about the redoubt he left his family and ran to the cause. Col Prescott said you are a general now. But he demured, he was just there as a volunteer. He performed the tasks of the everyday foot soldier. He was so loathed by the redcoats that they dug him up a couple days later to make sure he was dead.

      The redcoats did not pursue the retreating rebels, big mistake. The redcoats were licking their wounds. The British would never learn from their mistakes. Which was to occur again in Long Island NY,  Philadelphia and the 2nd battle of Trenton. They would not pursue.

      The colonists lost 300 dead  and 30 captured wounded.  They were put on British ships were 20 of them would die.  Redcoats lost over a thousand men in dead and wounded. They had at the start 2,000 men. An astonishing 89 officers were lost. The British never had a loss like that ever. They just could not believe it. Neither could London. Heads did roll.

      When there is a will there is a way. This rag tag army got the best of a world power in an hour and a half from 3 pm to 4:30 pm. 90 minutes that changed the world for a better future for all mankind. Without the US. Germany would have won in both world wars. And that world,   I would not want to have envisoned.

      I like our motto:  In GOD we trust. Focus on that in all our endeavors.

6/12/2023 Fire & Compass

       When lost in nature, those 2 tools can come in handy.  For 66 year old Appalachian  trail hiker Geraldine Largay she had access to both but failed to use them. There's  and old saying when in Rome due as the Roman's do.  In other words follow their lead. If you want to build a structure in your backyard say a shed, you want to learn something about how to actually do it. You talk to others who know how and look it up on the internet, or get a book on it. There you will learn the tools you will need and most important how to use the tools. Then do small projects first for practice. This is called doing your due diligence.

      Nature is beautiful at times and deadly as well. Know what your up against so as to properly prepare for any problems you might run into. On a hike in the woods a compass is a must. More important is how to use said compass. Geraldine had the compass but had no clue how to use it. With the compass you leave the trail. Look at compass and pick a direction north south east or west. If you leave trail heading north time your self, say 10 minutes  to do your duty. When returning you reverse your direction and head south for 10 minutes back to the trail. Having geographic maps is a plus too. Also know how to read them. If you don't have a compass use a marker. Carry a roll of colorful tape from Home Depot. There is no sticky on it and can be torn with little effort by your fingers. Wrap small sections of tape on bush or tree branches. As you move forward look back to keep that piece of tape in view. Whe you start to lose sight of it, time to place another marker.

     As a teenager our troop did an overnight at a campsite. It snowed 4 inches that night unexpectedly.  That morning the parents where down below  to collect their kids. My patrol leader Roy, who was also a young teeensger and me decided to walk out. He had a compass. We walked 15 minutes came across a very small clearing mountain laurel everywhere and bare deciduous trees. Another 15 minutes later the same clearing, looked like we went around in a circle I said. Roy said it did look the same but we go by the compass and we did.  Two hours later were standing on a snow covered road, where we made it back to his house. The power of a compass.

      Where there is smoke. There is fire. When lost for 2 days it's time to start one. Gather all the dead fall. 2 piles, 1 small one for the fire and the bigger 1 to feed the smaller pile. Once it's going add green or wet leaves. This makes it more smokey. The fire has to be big enough for the smoke to be able to escape the forest canopy. A forest fire could also help your cause.

      Unfortunately for Geraldine they found her in her tent 2 years later. She died. She was less than 2 miles from the trail.

      When lost tell yourself you will get out of this predicament. I do this all the time. It works for any predicament you come up with. I also call on divine spirit's help. It is always on the ready. And I thank it when it comes through.

6/9/2023 Grooming a Monster

       This blog is on the recent murders in Idaho of 4 college kids. Three gals and 1 guy. 

      This monster went to school in Pennsylvania. He was bullied mostly by girls in school, who would throw things at him and call him names. The seeds of hate were sown here. He grew up warped. Imagine what his life could have become if he was showered with niceties instead. Those school girls are partly responsible for those future events. A heavy price to bear, indeed. Each day is a chance to promote love and being kind. It's easy to do. Those acts you do will manifest in the future in others who will emulate your actions of yesterday's gone by. When anger rules the moment,  there is only destruction. To those who wield it and others, who are the brunt of it. Everything dies under the unkind and non loving individuals. You are like God in this respect, you can make choices in your actions and deeds for the betterment and uplifting of all or choose not to. God grants you this power, to see what you will do with it.

      In the thirties and forties in Germany. There were many monsters to be had. Not only in the Nazi party but the army and civilians as well who turned a blind eye to the evil around them. Fear ruled the collective consciousness. It's  tentacles penetrated deeply in daily life. That Fear destroyed millions of people. Not only them but people throughout the world. When a bad deed goes unchecked this is what can happen. It's not God's fault it is man's fault. With free will comes mega responsibility. 

      To be in touch with divine spirit is the best way to handle any bad event occurring around you. You just invite it in and ask it to light your way.  IT WILL DO THIS  for  you. By working with divine spirit every day you will be prepared for all future events. 

 Go in God.

6/7/2023 That's Nice

       The book:   The Power of Nice

The quote:   " Treat  everyone you meet as if they are the most important person in the world--- because they are.  If not to you, then to someone, and if not today, then perhaps tomorrow."

The writers:  Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval.....advertising executives.

    Doesn't cost much to be nice. On the other side of the veil we are nice, so why be different on this side. After you wake up, look in the mirror and say something nice about yourself. And before you do, make sure you believe it first. Then throughout the day be nice to a family member, a friend and a stranger. Three times at the minimum. At the end of day, reflect on how this made you feel. Now repeat this action every day. It's like saving money in the bank. You will become more of who you really are. And it starts with being nice. Have a nice day.

6/4/2023 Grace

        " I do not understand the mystery of grace-----only that it meets us where we are,  but does not leave us where it found us. "

Anne Lamott,  author of Plan B Further Thoughts on Faith.

       I feel that the harshest critic of ourselves  is us. When we can recognize this,  that this is so.  It is then that God's grace can come on "down" and  envelope us in it's unjudgmental warmth. When it is that time when we break those chains upon our wrists that we ourselves have locked on down. That we are able to reach up with freed hands to place that mantle of grace upon our shoulders. And with that comes the lightness of God's  benevolence. And hopefully we can hear God's voice within and throughout the remainder of our days on Earth.

6/3/2023 More on Common Sense

       Off the coast of Nassau a recently graduated kid from Louisiana  went on a pirate themed cruise. Alcohol was passed around during the feel good outing. Alcohol and judgement don't go hand in hand. On a dare 18 yr old Cameron attempts to jump into the water a little past midnight. These are shark invested waters. Some of the kids aboard tried to stop him physically  but he broke free. They threw him a life preserver which they saw him try to swim for. That was it for him. The remaining kids on board were cold due to lack of warm clothes. They were all miserable for the next 4 hrs as the crew tried to locate him. They didn't. One stupid act screwed it for every body aboard.

     Hopefully  they learned some things. Don't make dares. You are either there for everybody or your not. And when your not bad things can happen. And they did.