8/04/2024 August

        It's  been 3 months since I got out here. During a quick contemplation, I got something big is coming. Well I felt that it would happen in under a month. That did not happen. I've been making the adjustments and it has not been easy, mostly with the money. Now back to doing handyman things. 

You have to persevere no matter what. With every setback get up and have at it. Again and again. Slowly the dam will break. I have now noticed some cracks in the dams around me. I will work on these cracks, to get a foot hold. No matter what it is that you are after, attack it every day. You will get better results eventually. It's not fun nor is it easy but it is a have too. Keep working on yourself, so as to better yourself making you stronger mentally when it comes time to deal with future problems that may come your way. Be greatfull each day for whatever you have and do quick contemplations on improving yourself.

        I setup a chair in a shady spot on the front porch and put up a hummingbird feeder. I only fill it 1/8th full, since I have only one customer. I change out the food water every 2 days. I got my customer, shade, 20 pound dumbell and my phone. It's a nice quiet time that I recharge in.  Create a space for yourself  to reflect on how things are going in your life. Like just now it happened fast a small bird was chasing a small hawk. The tables turned. And now my buddy Hummingbird is drinking at the feeder. Now the blue sky is his backdrop as he hovers in that one spot in the air. His tail moving rapidly back and forth. After 30 secs he's  gone in a flash. A lot of moments are fleeting, so it is best to stay aware in what life has to offer. No matter how old you are enjoy what is happening in the now.

7/27/2024 Spiderwebbing

        A gal from England related her experience. She's on the internet looking for love. She meets guys she calls time wasters. One day she meets  a prospect. The date goes well. After 2 weeks he's texting 30x a day plus 10 phone calls. When this happens think red flag right away. He says all the right things and acts that way as well. So the hook was set.  After awhile they're living together. The jealously on his part started to become a problem. His ardourous calling sloughed off. He would belittle her in front of strangers and people they know. Later on he would apologize for his actions and then do romantic things with her.  Her self worth became less and less as the relationship endured.  Then the creep started to gas light her. Making her think she was seeing things that weren't there. Or removing things from the apartment and saying she was mistaken in owning them. Pure BS. One day he called her worthless. And no liked her even her own family didn't like her. She called her mother. The mother said dump him. Something clicked inside her. She went home and asked him to leave. He agreed and felt a long time it was no good. Months of therapy awaited her. She is back in the dating pool after 3 years.

        We get warnings along the way from our own gut as well as well meaning friends. Listen and pay attention always. Doing a journal helps with making the right decision. Also doing contemplations about how your life is going. When she thought of dumping him her fears of being alone would creep up. She succumbed to those fears. It froze her in place and delayed the inevitable. A less stress life requires perservanse on your part. Contemplation is an action. As a result you strengthen your self for future entanglements.

7/14/2024 To Your Health

         Some of the things I found to stay somewhat healthy. Stretching in a doorway which I  explained in past blogs. Lifting a 20 pound coated dumbell.  I do at least 100 lifts during 2 reps. 60x & 40 times. Everyday if I can. Lost 60 pounds over 5 years.  It's all about portion control. For meats do a palm size serving. Limit beef/ steak to once a month. Use fish and chicken & pork. No smoked meats. Try for non processed foods. Almost all use some sort of preservatives a lot of times It's salt. Forget can soups over 500 milligrams of salt and a lot of times 1000 or more. Salt is hidden in everything almost. It all adds up. Breads 250 and up and some cereals 300. I picked up a box last month of bran. After it was half gone I looked at the box and it was 300 salt. My sharp cheese was 175. Found a Swiss cheese for 35 mg salt. Isn't as good as sharp but at least it's cheese. I cut slivers and put it on my apple. I eat 1 apple a day and orange. Banana 1 every other day. The more natural foods the better.  I eat about 1 potato and many veggies  per day as well. Pasta every other day. And I still have dessert. So your body gets use to the routine.  I cut back on ice cream a lot as well. Candybars I get at dollar store. A sleeve of small mini bars is 1.25 at the dollar store. Do about 2 sleeves per week.  Cookies from dollar store fudge striped or oatmeal,, 2 per day usually.  I drink no alcohol. And maybe a soda once a month. Mostly I drink ice water. Try to walk a mile a day.

       And as I said before I use a mask in stores and hand  sanitizer daily.  Haven't  had a cold since Spring of 99. It's not a guarantee but it helps. If I see someone with a cold in a store, I back far away. If their cold is real bad, I will leave store right away and not get what I came in for. Also try to see a doctor a couple times a year. Right now I take blood pressure meds. High blood pressure is no good. Invest in a blood pressure cuff. Listen to your body.

7/09/2024 Fitness One. Year Later

        I decided a year ago to do some form of exercise. I wrote about it here. I started out slow with the dumbells. I would do 15 minutes in the morning. After months I slowly increased weight and the amount of reps. 1/2 hr in morning and 1/2 hr at night. Did that for about 4 months then went down to 1/2 hr a day. I was looking for muscle tone. Started a move in early March and the transition continues. I didn't do exercises at this time. I'm back to lifting 20 lb dumbell 60 times for the right and 70 for the left while sitting down.  Two months ago it was a 40/50 split. So the 1 year mark is here and I have seen much improvement. I also do leg exercises 30/35 reps with 15 lb weight a dumbell. I can now lift myself off ground without pushing off of a bucket. Getting the wrinkles off and below the bicep is almost done. The bottom takes longer. It is not a lot of work. No going to a gym. Save travel time and money. The muscle guys have to work out a lot with heavier weights and eat a lot more. They also are prone to getting physical  problems as they get older. 

       The next thing I want to do is eat less processed food. Back around 1905 doctors were noticing  more digestive problems in people. They attributed it to processed  foods. Prior to the invention the doctors didn't see too many patients complaining of stomach issues. Martin Spurlock, who just died did a movie Just Supersize Me. Where he ate breakfast, lunch & dinner at McDonald's.  From Feb 1 to March 2nd 2003 he ate the super size meals. He tells of the effects that happened to his body. It took him a year to get back to so called normal. This movie stuck with me. He died at 53 from cancer.

7/04/2024 56 Men

        That's  the number of men that signed the Declaration of Independence, 248 years ago today. John Hancock was the first to sign the document.Those men actually signed their own death warrant. Each man was marked to be hung by the British government. The British couldn't get their hands on any of them. These 56 had courage beyond else. The colonial army was a rag tag bunch of men with near zero military capabilities. The survival of the 56 was dubious at best. They persevered and got lucky with several important individuals in key positions. George Washington  being the main cog in the wheel in sustaining independence. Ben Franklin another signer of DOI. Ben took a slow boat to France in October 1776. He stayed 9 years and left there at age 80. His efforts secured French money,, navy and army. When he got back to the states, he was shocked that the members of congress weren't keen on the efforts that he and the French provided to America. People are funny then and now. The French after WW 1 & 2 likewise were cool to American help. Of course not all of them. Many were appreciative. Even today I can appreciate what the French did for America. I'm glad we returned the favor to them 2 fold. That's  what friends are for.

       Freedom is not a right. It has to be fought for every day. Our forefather's saw what could lie ahead for us. So they put in guide lines to help us stay on tract to contiuing our freedoms. One of those guidelines was separation of church and state.  For the last 50 years the religious right have been gnawing at those guidelines. Now the  John Robert's Supreme  Court has said dictatorial powers are aok with them. Really? These so called educated men say it's  aok. What the?  Something is seriously wrong with America today. Today the Republicans are writing their plank for their party behind closed doors. Why?  because they know what they are doing is wrong!  They use threats and favors to keep them in line. They want to make America in their image period. Why not support their nominee who has said he will be a dictator on day one. Storm the government, it's  a ok with them. They are heros. When they take over people will have to swear loyalty to their presidente and not the USA.

       Wake Up America before it's too late!

6/17/2024 The Battle on Breed's Hill

        Today 249 years ago. The British were put on notice. The colonists were not going to be a push over. They secured the high ground, smack in front of Boston across the Charles river. Early morning light the redcoats were hitting the redoubt with cannons from warships in the river. Assault troops of red were being rowed to the peninsula. It took 3 assaults by the redcoats moving uphill to confront the colonists. Lead musket balls filled the air.   Many redcoats would not see the next day.  Redcoats lost  over a thousand casualties,  Americans 450. Redcost officers 89. The Redcoats were in disbelief over the 89 dead. Back then officers were not targeted during warfare. They were very, very mad.  The Americans ran out of bullets on the 3rd assault.. After this battle that the Americans lost, there was no going back. You were either in or out. Time was now to choose sides.

       Remember this day. It was the day ordinary Americans came together to fight for something new and better. Remember this bloody day. It would change the world from this day forward.

6/17/2024 This

        This year 24 is critical for all the people who want to live in a Democracy.  About 248 years we lived under these guidelines set down in 1776. We did this so that we can live in an environment that can work for everybody. To have a chance to prosper and make improvements along the way. I enjoyed my life under these protections and for that I am greatfull.  Now, those guarantees are under assault. I am beyond astonished,  how could this be happening. Where did we go wrong. My guess is the loosening of laws in the state and then federal jurisdictions.  Our forefather's put that in writing straight away. There is to be a separation between church and state. These religious right people are injecting their beliefs onto all of us through the courts and state jurisdictions. The "republicans" are about to nominate a man who on day one will rule as a dictator. And that's ok with them. Why?  Because all they want is power at any cost. The welfare of us be damned. No common sense allowed. 

       Thomas Paine wrote a pamphlet on this topic called Common Sense. It united the colonists behind the idea of a republic that would ensure freedom for Americans.  To vote, you had to be it at the time a white male with property. Over time that would change. If common sense resonated through out the land close to a quarter millennium ago, why can't we do it today. Back then most people couldn't read. Now we have all the advantages. You are not born with commonsense, it something you learn in life through trial and error. If someone says they are going to bust you in the mouth one of these days, believe them.  Take precautions when near that person. The same here. If he says I'm going to be a dictator believe him. If he takes power, it will be a different life for sure. More angst  for everyone. Isn't there enough angst already. Why increase it?  Makes No Sense.  It will be 1775 all over again. We either go forward with hope or take 250 steps backwards.