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A Saturday visit...Boot Camp 101
This hasn't been the most productive day around here. I mean, it hasn't been the worst we've ever had, but still, I know so much more could have gotten done. I did get a denim jacket, 3 dresses, 3 aprons, 4 pairs of bloomers, 4 sets of boxers and 4 kapps cut out for sewing. Lord knows when I'll get to the sewing part, but they are ready for me now.
Eldest son and Dad will be home this weekend. Eldest son wil be loading up his storage unit and he and his fiance (who's been staying here all month) will be heading back to Arkansas.
It's not nice to say, but I am so so looking forward to having everyone gone from here. We have had a hard time with Dad being gone, but honestly, we just haven't had a chance to adjust to Dad being gone from the family. The day he left to head down for this job, our friend/neighbor called with 'dysfunctional family issues' going on and their 17 year old son needed to come over her for a couple of days. Just what I needed. Like rocks in my head.
Dysfunctional family issues subside and then here comes son's fiance. She isn't remotely Plain or conservative or unworldly in the least. It has been one trial after another now. I'm living with attitudes that need serious deprogramming and a life that is about as upside-down as it can go.
I need time to get used to Dewey being gone. The children need time to get used to Dewey being gone. We just need time to decompress from the chaos we've been thrust under in the past month. Everyone is back-talking, everyone has made really poor choices as to what they need to be doing daily around here...no one has touched more than a lesson or two of schooling the past month. They are constantly arguing over things that are settled and carved in stone around here.
We need to regroup and restablish the long-running Rules of This House for everyone. We need a refresher course in proper attitudes, proper dress and proper direction of and from authority.
What we need...what we are going to have here...is Boot Camp 101. We are going to get back to the brass tacks of things. Basic and simple. No 'demoncratic style' whatsoever. I will speak, they will listen and follow directions. I will be assigning every moment of every day and some freedom will be given after a time of adjustment has been completed. No bathroom breaks, no talking without being spoken to first and directly, no drinks, no movement of even the tiniest little toe unless so directed and mandated by me. Everything will move along in an orderly fashion according to the schedule I set out daily.
Just like life in the real world here. You don't get to choose when you wake up and start your day. It's chosen for you by your job choice, and your employer. You don't get to choose what you wear. It's chosen for you based on the decisions this family has had in place for many years. You don't live in a hotel. You don't own a restaurant. Meal time is scheduled and those not prepared go hungry until the next meal. I don't run a short-order kitchen. Every single thing you do in your life is governed by someone else. That's how life works in this world, and that's how it will be working around here until we get back to where we belong.
Eldest children will receive the deepest punishment --
1) they know better. They have lived under the same rules their entire life. They know what is expected, what is and will be tolerated and what will not. They have full and total recall of all rules and consequences they have lived under for however many years. They are conscious enough to make their decisions and know full well wht will happen if those choices do not line up with the family standards.
And, 2) it all trickles down through the ranks. If the olders are brought back under subjection, the youngers don't have issues of authority. They see that it is simply how things work.
I will be the supreme power of life on this homestead until things are back to some sense of normalcy again. No more free choice/free will allowed. Period. I don't do the "this family is a democracy" mumbo-juumbo very well at all. Things are not gray -- things are either black or they are white. But never are they both. You listen; you follow rules and direction the first time you are told; you obey with a spirit of joy and a smile on your face; you put a full effort, 100% of your energy and heart into it. Afterwards, once this or that direction is followed and completed, you may come to appeal the priority of said direction. Give me a viable argument with sound research and we'll discuss it, and it will be taken under advisement for next time. But don't give me some sobby little whine and wimper rant about it. That's just a poor attitude and a poor plan of action. Save that tact with your boss at McDonald's/Wendy's/Burger King/etc., when you are flipping burgers for a living, lamenting your poor childhood and lack of direction and foundation.
We need this in this household right now. The sooner the better. Time to pray over the doorposts and anoint the corners of every room and push the spirits of the world back out to the curb where they belong.
Photo's From The Pumpkin Patch
Ok...there are alot of photo's in this one, so bear with me if they load slow. We have an ancient dial-up connection here and trust me...they might load slowly for you, but that's nothing compared to uploading them on my end!First off, Saturday we visited a pumpkin patch with the handful of children from our church. No, we don't do the whole halloween thing at all. Honestly, you can dress a pig in pretty clothes and take him to church, but it's still just a pig and he simply doesn't belong there....still, we went. I'm a hypocrit, I guess.
The 'patch' was a large farm with several fields of pumpkins you could select from yourself (do you know how long it takes children to select their own pumpkin???? It's a loonnggg time, trust me!)
They had a large, inflatible slide thing, a race track set up with peddle cars and tricycles and such, a ring for pony rides, a few animals for the petting zoo and a hay bale maze in a small barn.
We played a short while, then took the hay wagon out to the fields and everyone got a pumpkin to bring home -- we'll be canning ours this week.
I'll just share the pictures and you can look around with our family...
Here's my group...sitting on top inside the inflatible bouncer slide...they are trying to decide who gets to be the brave one and head out first. There's Jacob, David, Matthew turned around backwards and Miss KatiAnne (and Hunter, our Pastor's grandson). I noticed that most of the 'city kids' waited very patiently while the strange "amish" children tested themselves here. LOL...what those poor folks must have been thinking! I know...we do need to get out and about more, don't we?The first ones out? Wild Child, of course...and Miss KatiAnne...
It was David's birthday and he was convinced the whole day was for him. The inflatible slide posed some issues for him, though. He simply doesn't have the weight to keep him on it -- he would bound over the top and begin to slide down, just to bounce most of the way down because it was more 'springy' than he was 'weighty'
And what happens when, as D at As Simply As We Can mentioned on her blog, when country goes to town?
The poor country children are duped by the city folk into milking a wooden cow....yes, apparently my children need to get out a bit more. I said that, didn't I? These are those moments when you do need a bit more of being 'of' the world and not just 'in' it I think ;o)
Here is eldest and youngest daughters, Miss Jennifer and Miss Emily. They look so impressed with the converted cotton wagon ride to the field, don't they? Honestly, Miss Emily about fell asleep with the motion of the wagon across those fields -- both on the way out and coming back in! It is a good picture of the two of them, though, even if Miss Jennifer didn't want her's taken.
And poor Miss Emily in the field...she was looking at me as though I had abandoned her to carry her pumpkin alone so I could take pictures of her misery. Note to other parents: Ok, I sort of did...but *Dad* wanted to see lots of pictures of the day...I had to be just a by-stander! He made me do it. It's all Dad's fault :o) Besides, doesn't carrying your own pumpkin, by yourself, across the whole field, promote character or something?She made it about 5 steps toting that pumpkin before she put it back down and said she was too heavy to carry it.
Here is KatiAnne with her pumpkin, Johanna with her choice, and way out there is Matthew, trying to help Miss Ashley from church select hers so he can help her carry it back to the wagon. Now, Miss Ashley comes from rather stout farm raised Southern stock...she really didn't need help carrying a pumpkin, but Matthew, well...always the gentleman :o)
After the pumpkin field, we stopped back at the farm kitchen and got some drinks before heading home. The children all played in the race track section. They had several different bicycles and tricycles and such.
Miss KatiAnne grabbed one of the large tricycles and took off -- with Abigail behind her telling her she needed to pick a different racer so her peddling wouldn't lift her skirt above her knees! She was right -- KatiAnne made about half a round on that track, with constant pulling on her skirt and apron, and chose a different ride. No one listens when Mom says to wear their bloomers.....
That was about it for the day. They had some huge, nice looking mum plants set out for sale...bright yellows, deep reds, oranges and some purple-shades. I almost bought a couple, but then I remembered the dogs...who would waste little time in dragging them off the porch; And the cats...who would waste little time in using them for a new litter box out there. They were better left where they were.
All in all, the day was fun for everyone. And I put gas in the van before heading out and paid $3.05 a gallon. Not a bad price, considering, but we get over to Blue Mountain and their gas was already down to $2.52 a gallon!!! I could have gotten 15 gallons instead of the 12 gallons I got for my $40. Ugh, ugh and ugh!!!! Still...all considered, the $3.05 was better than the $3.18 it was on Thursday, so I didn't suffer too terribly much. And those little 12 gallons was far more gas than my van has seen in a good 3 months now, so all was well.
Things around the homestead
Ok, still don't know why the camera didn't want to upload to the computer...or why the computer didn't want it to, but that's technology for you. I've played and reloaded and rebooted and what-have-you, and finally, this time, it just sort of worked.Here's the assorted odd pictures of the last many days here:
LOL...yes, basically a useless picture...but it was supposed to be here for the day I baked the pumpkin bread and raisin pumpkin snack cake. And yes, of course I buy butter in that huge container....doesn't everyone? My goodness, what other size would there be for a large family?How do you learn to ride a bike? Well, you talk your older brother into letting you be the first to ride his new bike, then you get on and let him shove....er, push you gently....across the front yard. Note to my children: you might want to find a new place to test your bike riding skills. There is a slope to the front yard in that particular area, and it heads straight into the mulch pile and timber line.
This is Wild Child, Jacob...with Abigail there in blue, and KatiAnne on the bike....totally forgetting to even pedal...or steer.
Here we have Miss Emily trying to coax the chickens into coming closer for a visit. She poked her hand into the fence and wiggled her fingers, calling them...chickee, chickee. As soon as they started over toward her, she liked to have pulled the fence down yaking her hand out so quickly.
And the new addition to the homestead...and still unnamed officially...The Buddy Dog :o)
He is a Great Pyrenese (or however you spell that...it never looks right to me). According to our friend who got him at his auction, he's about 3 months old. But goodness is he huge for a mere 3 months old!
Here he is with Matthew...and our blind goat...doesn't he look awfuly big for 3 months? Maybe it's just me. I'm not very familiar with their growth patterns and all. I know they are to be large dogs, but at 3 months, I guess I thought he'd be more 'puppy' sized or something.
As to being 'protection' for the goats, well, I don't know about that. He's rather skittish with them and tries to pick his places wherever they aren't. And our 'seeing' goat is a bit of a pill with other animals in her pen. She all but killed the poor black puppies that grew up with them. The male is blind in one eye and won't go near the pen now. The female always did have a bit more gumption, but even she chooses her battles with that seeing goat.
Yeah -- that one there, staring at you, with a touch of attitude....that's the seeing eye goat :o) We bought her as a companion for the blind goat. But she's full of attitude...spit and vinegar I think is the old saying. That's definitely her.
A serene Saturday & Sunday afternoon
Here are the photos from yesterday. The children built a fort.
Well, it's an encampment of sorts, really.
It's Boonesboro...or in our case, Smithsboro. The children love watching the old television series Daniel Boone. Emily sings Daniel Boone was a man....a biiiiiggggg maaaannnnn.... all day, just out of the blue. And easily switches between that and Victory in Jesus or Jesus Loves Me. She has rather eclectic singing choices, I know.
This is the beginning of our fabricated chicken house, actually. It's just a cattle panel arched over a frame. We'll move the chickens around the garden area with it once it's finished.
Well, maybe...looks like I may not be getting this one back any time soon:
And the laundry that was left to wait on Smithsboro's completion...
And, I just thought this photo turned out nice. It's Miss Dimples, our KatiAnne, enjoying Smithsboro's outdoor cafe...
She wanted Grandma to see her :o)
10 Commandments for Every Christian
We could all certainly use far more of this in our churches today and a lot less of the 'Christian play' that goes on.
• DON’T IDEALIZE the church – it’s glorious, not because it’s perfect (after all, you’re in it!), but because it’s being redeemed.
• DON’T CRITICIZE your fellow-believers anytime or the pastor (especially never ever before or after a Sunday service: the Devil’s already doing that; don’t you help him).
• DON’T POLARIZE in church meetings or committees. ‘I don’t agree’ is very negative: try ‘Is there perhaps another way of looking at this?’
• DON’T OSTRACIZE people whose psychological ‘chemistry’ is different to yours, or who do not see things your way. Be Christian, and greet them warmly, and pray with them anyway.
• DON’T IDOLIZE the pastor or any other leader: we are all fellow- strugglers and we all have feet of clay.
• DON’T MONOPOLIZE conversations: be that kind of rare person who is an empathetic listener.
• DON’T ORGANIZE anything ‘off your own bat’. Initiative is good: initiative plus collaboration plus accountability is better.
• DON’T HOMOGENIZE. Talk to people who are not your cronies (even tax-collectors and sinners do that). Accept people who are not like you theologically. After all, God’s truth may include both your and their understandings!
• Above all, DON’T VERBALIZE your frustration or negativity about the church to others: it is sure to discourage them. Do it with the Lord, a spiritual director or counselor, and possibly, after much prayer, to a responsible leader. The devil is very clever: he puts words into our mouth like: ‘Would you (my friend) pray with me about the problem I have with...’
• Instead REALIZE that the Church is loved by Christ, so be patient with each other: the Lord hasn’t finished with any of us yet!
The Attack on Men
All I will say to this is Amen. If you can't see our society totally wrapped up in this, you need to pull off the blinders and take a really good look around you. We don't have many MEN in our society today. We don't have many LEADERS in our society. And, sadly, we aren't working to change that in our up and coming young men and boys either.THE ATTACK ON MEN:
Every television show depicts men as idiots, buffoons, or evil monsters. Satan wants to reach women because they are more easily deceived. The only obstacle to his subversion of women is men. His attack on men is primarily to remove any credibility or influence they have over women. The effectiveness of this campaign is shown in the TV program “The Red Green Show”. In this show there is a motto for men that is repeated with a resigned shrug, “I am a man...I can change...If I have to...I guess.”
Young men today may not even know that the pattern of male submission that is prevalent today is an aberration. It has never existed before in the history of the world. Men were created to take care of families. Women were created to be taken care of. “Women’s liberation” is a communist term for the destruction of families. Liberation implies a struggle against oppression. The communist “liberation” movements have all been armed rebellion against governments that oppose their revolution.
It is important to recognize that revolutionary and political terms are used to demonize traditional families and family practice. The “liberation” that is implied is not against men, but against the God created order of life. Women are to be liberated from families and made worker bees in the corporate hive. In the communist model, women are not mothers or wives, but workers. Workers exist to serve the state.
Men today do not have wives or mothers, just fellow workers. Men are told that this is the natural order of things and any suggestion of the “old way” is an insult to women and must not be tolerated. Men are told to accept the new status of women. Men are bullied into acquiescence with this rape of our culture and exploitation of women. It is sad that Satan has gotten women to be the loudest defenders of the attack upon women.
It can be helpful to examine some of the specific ways men have been reduced to silent and sometimes willing partners in the exploitation of women.
1. Higher education. Men were told that only smart people in universities were educated enough to have any authority to speak to issues concerning their families. Fields such as anthropology, sociology, psychology, social work, and other phony “science” have been used to stifle objection.
2. Liberal religion. Most churches have been completely subverted to worldly perspectives in advance of the more direct attack on men. When men turned to their churches to help fight the direct attack, they only found that the churches had already “gone over to the enemy”.
3. Media. Men are portrayed as crazed killers, bullies, irresponsible, unreliable, drunken violent abusers. Satan does not allow a picture of quiet kindness and strength. Satan will never allow real men who lead their families with love to be seen. The imprint of media is a stain on all of us. More pervasive than the worst Korean War brainwashing, we are saturated to our core with Satanic images, frames of reference, and modes of thinking.
4. Elementary education. The educational system has been one of the greatest tools Satan has used to homogenize men into a submissive mold so that they will not object to the changes being brought forth in our society. As boys they are continuously told to be quiet and sit down, they are learning to stifle their natural inclinations. A primary purpose of the elementary classroom is to break the spirit of young men.
5. Elevation of sport. Boys are told that if they have to be restless then they can play sports. There is nothing so sad as to see someone whose whole life is reduced to this narrow mode of expression. Some men become so occupied with sports, it becomes the only vehicle they have to communicate with others, like the POWs who would communicate by tapping out a code.
6. Withdrawal. Satan is familiar with the most common response of men to situations of discomfort, they withdraw. By making life increasingly alien to men, he forces them out of areas he wants to control. The percentage of women in universities is increasing dramatically. Most men cannot feel comfortable in the radically political, and fervently hostile climate of campus life. Even for men who want to lead their families, they do not know how to meet the frustrating resistance from family members already held captive by the world. These men often seek divorce when they should be seeking knowledge and wisdom.
7. Self-indulgence. For centuries Satan had to rely on alcohol and adultery as his main tools to subvert morality. However, by careful planning and timing he was able to introduce abortion, the drug culture, birth control, and the sexual revolution all within a few years. We now have a climate where this is an accepted way of life. However, while some are dragged down to complete degradation, others (by God’s grace) resist the pull of consuming sensual pleasure and see the emptiness and waste of such a life. Many Christian pioneers come out of the depths of sin to the light of truth and joy of knowing real love.
There is a way to fight back or at least resist these pervasive Satanic influences.
1. Become a Christian. There is a supernatural war going on all around us. Satan is allowed for a little while longer to rule over the earth. The Bible says that those who are not Christians are “held captive to do his will”. Being a Christian connects you to the winning side in this war and provides the means of being pulled out of a spiral of destruction.
2. Grow in truth. Satan achieves most of his success through our failures. If we draw close to God and gain wisdom and understanding, we are able to reduce the number of times we are deceived. The Bible says, “Greater is He who is in you, than he who is in the world”.
3. Acknowledge humility. Most men do not like the feeling that they do not have the answers or need to get advice or help from another person. The Christian life cannot be lived without humility. Men need to learn that courage is undertaking difficult or unpleasant action because of necessity.
4. Find a mentor. God provides those with wisdom who can give advice and provide encouragement. An ally in the fight against worldly corruption can be an essential part of a successful resistance to these corrupting influences. There are many poor and false teachers, so one should be careful.
5. Abandon error. Satan loves to isolate people in a shell of pride. A woman can raise a clenched fist demanding the “right” to be sexually exploited, killed her babies, and be left alone in her old age. No one will be able to convince her she has been duped because she has been inoculated against any suggestion of error. In a similar way men become encased in destructive prisons of error and humility is the key to escape.
6. Withdraw from diversion. Many children grow up in homes where they learn quickly that the father’s desire to watch television is more important than anything the child might have to say. Our recreations, entertainments, hobbies, and pleasures all act to turn us from our responsibilities. We need to understand the damage that we cause others by our selfishness.
7. Character is more important than performance. Men often focus on what they can do and how well they can do it. They tend to see their worth in terms of their value to “get things done”. This reinforces a materialistic and utilitarian view of the world. The Christian pioneer is understanding that all that we do is of God and there is no room for boasting. As we grow closer to God and value what He values, we learn that a humble and loving heart is infinitely more valuable that job proficiency.
We need to turn our vision from the world. The images we get from the world only enslave us. We need to turn towards Christ. From Him we gain truth, wisdom, and understanding. With the truth, we can build strong families free from the degradation and corruption of the world.
What happens when you aren't online for a while...
Well, first off....your mail gets rather full and becomes a time-consuming go-through.Then, you end up inadvertently deleting some notes about comments here :o(
When you finally get logged in, you find that there are a slew of comments waiting to be moderated. I didn't know that. I wasn't aware I had set anything up to moderate comments. So, forgive me for everyone who was sitting in the comment box, in limbo as it were. I don't moderate comments. I may not like what someone has to share, but as long as it's family-friendly for viewing, I am not going to play censor on my blog. Everyone has an opinion, everyone knows what they know and likes what they like. I'm no different. If we can agree to disagree and keep free, open minds, there's no point in moderating other than to keep it friendly for all who may see it.
However...I'm a bit lost now here. I had comments that I cannot find as I've deleted the emails with them. I read them, but not sure I can answer each now.
Guess I need to be online a bit more....I had an enormous amount of emails in my box and that's just ridiculous. What I need to do is go back over yahoo groups with a fine-toothed comb and really see what mail I receive and what it offers me, as well as what I offer that group. Surely I can do some serious paring down.
Now, onto homestead news....
There isn't any, really. LOL...I haven't been off-line due to anything catastrophic or even chaotic. I just haven't had the motivation to get online lately. We have been working on character training around here, and schooling and laundry. Just regular life.
Dewey was home this weekend some. He came in late Thursday, had to go up to Tennessee to the shop Friday, and then headed back off to Arkansas Sunday after church. It wasn't much time, but we enjoyed having even a short visit. Pretty soon his work will pick up enough that he won't be able to come home, we'll have to travel over there.
I have several pictures on the camera I had planned to share...but for some reason I haven't figured out yet, the camera decided not to connect to the computer :o( Ugh. As much as I like my computer and a few select gadgets, I really get irked at technology! I'll keep playing with it all and see if I can figure out what I did, or didn't do.
We've been back to making butters here. A couple from church gave us a bushel of pears from their trees. Not the prettiest fruits in the world, but oh-so delicious! We cooked them down yesterday and the puree is in the crock pot now, making into pear butter. I don't expect to get many pints from it, but every little bit in the pantry is a blessing and a treat.
I haven't followed the 'bail out' news lately. I know the first attempt at a bill failed and I thought they were to vote on some changes to it today, but that's all I know. I'm sure when it all hits the fan, someone will blog about it and I'll be able to find out what I need to know ;o) There are far more eloquent bloggers out there interested in politics and finances than me! If you have news, drop me a line and fill me in :o)
We are hoping to get some things done today. Yesterday I stopped by to set up the appointment to get new tires. Yes, all four...new...can we say pricey? Really, it wasn't as bad as I first imagined. We drive a 15 passenger van. It takes heavy duty tires, and we do alot of driving really, for as much as we stay home, we drive alot when we do drive. Everything is highway, so at least there's a small plus there. The total for tires, inspection and alignment with all the taxes and labor included was $731. Not nearly the ouch I expected, but still, a pretty healthy pinch. As I said, I stopped by to get the appointment all set, to make sure they had the tires I was wanting in stock, etc. They were in a lull for the day. He offered to go ahead and do it then, and hold my payment until Friday, when we originally planned to do it. Can't beat that.
The children were lightly impressed with all the sights and sounds of the mechanic bay, and they thought it was kind of fun to be hoisted up in the lift and all, but an hour and a half was straining even the most pleasant of children. They were bored and things got a bit rowdy toward the end of the time. We didn't have any serious issues arise from it all, but we didi talk about how we need to be able to control ourselves, no matter how long something takes or how bored we might be. They did all stay in the car -- a repair shop/mechanic shop simply isn't a place for children to be having freedom. The waiting area was very small, and they had a television on and we are trying to curb that completely here, so it wasn't an option for us. As I said, they did really well for the length of time, and next time I think we'll do even better.
Time to get moving. A fabric shop went out of business and they didn't sell everything off. He took the tons of remaining fabrics -- cotton for making scrubs! -- and boxed it up into bundles of 50 yards and 100 yards. Pieces ranging from a yard minimum to 20 yards maximum. Get this -- they are selling for $15 a box for the 100 yard and $10 for the 50 yard box! The scrubs material is perfect for us -- it washes up very nicely, releases wrinkles well, and the colors are solid. We don't always stick to solids, but they are nice. I really hope he has some left and I can get at least 4 of the 100 yard boxes.
The Perils of Economics
Granny Miller is coming back to blogging and shared this entry. I just had to share it. While I'm a complete dolt when it comes to things like government, politics and economics, I have brains enough to know that The United States cannot keep going on like it has been. That's simple common sense and history.People are blinded by the government in our society. They have allowed far too much power to large corporations, money-changers and government offices that it cannot help but come back to bite us. According to many on the political watch, this bank trouble and Wall Street collapse is just the start of a domino effect that has been brewing for many years.
And we all sit back and watch. Minor complaints here and there, some righteous indignation now and then, but for the most part, no one is really looking at the practical steps that need to be taken. They look back on things like the Y2K non-event and laugh.
Did you ever stop long enough to truly consider the potential of Y2K? I mean, from a serious point of view, did you ever wonder what exactly you would do if it occurred, even on a small level? That's a poor choice of words -- there is no small level when you think about it. We have interlocked our economy and our material needs so tightly, if one misses a step, it will mos certainly have a domino effect to a fairly sizable level in no time.
I know most folks live in a bubble of sorts when it comes to this. Some fully believe that collapse is impossible. Some laugh, rather loudly, at the mere thought of the mark of the Beast/cashless society ever truly taking hold.
Personally, I think you're fools in that aspect, but that's just my opinion. Look at our society right now -- some gas stations won't take cash. It's shopping card or debit card/credit card or nothing. Everyone has been goaded into online banking, eBill services, buying everything they could ever want online without needing a real-life store. They purchase everything with credit or use their debit. Paychecks are automatically deposited. You never truly handle your own money anymore. It's all done for you.
Like leading sheep to the slaughter. All you need is an open door and a chute to direct the traffic.
We certainly have that today. Everyone has been pushed gently and slowly into believing this is so much simpler, so much easier for everyone. Foolishness. Scriptures clearly say this is coming...and it's not in mainstream text, and certainly not in the flluff the seeker-friendly churches are spouting. But it's there in Revelation. It is the begining of the end. Truthfuly, I would probably call it more like the middle of the pathway to the end. Maybe even alot closer than that.
But, back to practicailites. Should these 'fanatics' who have been preaching gloom and doom actually have something and this is the beginning of the end, things are going to get progressively worse...such as economic collapse and someone coming forward to help us all out (btw...that would be the AntiChrist if you're reading about the Truths in Revelation...) what are you going to do? Think seriously for a moment.
- How are you going to eat?
- Where are you going to get your water needs from?
- What will you use for currency? You monies are all tied up in plastic and e-services, remember?
- How will you protect yourself, your family, your home?
- What are you going to do for utilities -- electricity, gas, cooking?
- Do you have any food storage? Do you have any means of growing food?
I'm not trying to change your minds...just trying to share ome practical points that seriously need to be considered. Those blinders most folks are wearing are going to be ripped off soon. As Spurgeon said (ok, related to Salvation and our sharing The Gospel...but it fits here as well if you think about it...
If sinners will be ****ed at least let them leap to hell over our bodies. And if they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees, imploring them to stay. If hell must be fille, at least let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let no one go there unwarned or unprayed for.
If our friends and families are destined for hell and peril in the coming days, at least let them go there fully warned and with the tools of prepartion handed to them by those of us who are not blinded by Big Brother and his tactics.
Granny Miller |
Posted: 25 Sep 2008 03:15 PM CDT
I'm enjoying my break from blogging and will be back to regular posting probably sometime late next week.I have spent the past week watching the Cash For Trash debacle unfold via C-Span while I make grape juice,apple butter, pumpkin butter and do some heavy cleaning.
I just now read that a panic stricken Congress will vote on some type of Bank Band Aid Bailout.
Like other politically minded bloggers I want to weigh in on the current "crisis" and I also want to give some advice to my readers.
Whether or not you choose to take my advice is of course your own business.
Here's where I stand on the issue:
I oppose any government intervention in the current Wall Street Panic.
The proposed bailout is the biggest money and power grab in the history of the Unites States.
The Federal Reserve is a cancer eating away at our Nation, Freedom and our Liberty.
It is my opinion, that the Central Bank System is for the most part the sole cause for our current economic problems.
I am appalled at the proposed shift of power and unchecked authority to the Federal Reserve and to the Department of Treasury.
Section 8 of the LEGISLATIVE PROPOSAL FOR TREASURY AUTHORITY TO PURCHASE MORTGAGE-RELATED ASSETS makes me positively see red:
"Decisions by the Secretary pursuant to the authority of this Act are non-reviewable and committed to agency discretion, and may not be reviewed by any court of law or any administrative agency."
I would be funny if it wasn't for real and it will be very interesting to see if it is left in the current proposal.
I am also extremely concerned about reports that foreign corporations with a United States affiliate will participate in the federal bailout.
It is my opinion that by doing nothing now the markets will correct naturally.
By doing nothing we will most certainly suffer economically in the short run, but it won't last for years.
All grownups know that sometimes medicine is hard to take.
We can as a Nation act like grown ups and take our medicine now and get better.
Or we can act like children, refuse a bitter pill and let paternalistic government take control.
Big band aids and denial can't cure cancer, but they do sometimes make children feel better.
So the news today is that the cowards and wimps in Congress don't have the back bone to swallow the pill.
Our elected representatives have just insured that we are going to drag this problem out and with a much more serious consequence.
I believe a full blown economic depression and market crash is now only a matter of time.
I wonder if we have a year left?
Here's my advice:
If you haven't already, I encourage all of you to do what you can and to make sensible, concrete plans for yourselves and your families today.
If you have not made preparations to do without electricity, phone service, water and transportation I urge you to do it now.
The coming collapse will make services that you take for granted a hit or miss affair.
If you have consumer debt pay it off as fast as you can.
The coming Credit Card Crisis is just around the corner.
Find a way as much is possible to live outside the paper money economy.
If you do not have food enough set aside to go for at least 2 months without a trip to the grocery store, please begin to consider what could happen if store shelves become empty and stay that way.
Stock up on supplies even if it's only an extra $10 or $15 of canned food every week.
It is imperative that you keep enough cash on hand to weather an extended "bank holiday".
Same goes for prescription medication.
Stock up if you can.
Also, if you do not know how to safely use a firearm to protect yourself and your property, I would strongly encourage you to contact Gun Owners Of America or the National Rifle Association and sign up for a self defense course.
Food and gas shortages, bank runs and economic collapse will breed civil unrest.
We are in for hard times, and all the wishing for it to not be so won't change what lies ahead of us.
"I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies.
If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around (the banks) will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.
The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs."
Thomas Jefferson, Letter to the Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin (1802)
Our Monday on the Homestead
We've managed to finish laundry, although it isn't hanging out today as I had planned. We started up the burn pile and well, of course, the wind is going to carry every bit of smoke to the pine clearing where the laundry hangs :o( Oh well...at least it's finished.
Honestly the clothesline does look better than these photo's show. In real life, the lines are actually higher from the ground and a bit more tight. Yes, this rather looks more like a campground clothesline, I guess. LOL...we have a big, empty expanse of 'yard' out here without a tree in sight except along the perimeter where the timber starts. This patch of pines in just to the side of the house and offers me not only trees for clothesline poles, but some filtered shade to keep the clothing from frying in the sun down here.Sitting in the living room, by the woodstove, I have 2 pulley systems for clothesline, just waiting to be put up and used somewhere. The somewhere is the problem, though. I have no idea where to put them. I had a couple of poles put up for a while, but the sun just beat the clothing to a faded pulp, so I opted for true country....hang my clothes under the trees :o)
The barn rooms are cleaned out now and fresh bedding in place. So are the dog runs and the chicken coop and yard. Hopefully we now have contented, happy homestead critters out there.
We have also put bread in the oven this morning. My quick bread recipe -- makes 3 loaves in about an hour or just a bit more. We did up 6 loaves for today.
Check back later today and I'll show you the finished loaves :o) They smell delicious!
Time to get back to schooling. The youngers finished while the olders were outside this morning. Time to get the olders moving along now. I want to get a list of Dolch Site Words listed on the school board to work with the youngers later. We are using Word Mastery and our McGuffey Readers this year with them for reading, and I'm not sure I enjoy it just yet.
I also need to get my list of what materials and books are still needed for school. In a nutshell, we need:
3rd, 5th, 7th and 8th grade Math and English sets from Rod & Staff
1st grade Bible Nurture and Reading Series
Bookkeeping or Accounting from CLE
I'm thinking Rod & Staff Science as well; if so, that's all 8 grade levels needed
And we have a lengthy list of book wants just for reading and history :o) I try to get a few of those whenever I can. Maybe what we really need is about half a dozen floor-to-ceiling bookcases!
Groery Shopping and lists...
My last couple trips to the store have been a bit whacked out compared to our normal shopping. We had not done any real shopping for a good 18 weeks around here. Slow work, low paychecks and all those other budget-crunchers. We were buying the absolute barest of essentials. I've always loved Dave Ramsey's advice on finances, but really, a beans-and-rice/rice-and-beans menu gets rather monotonous after the first month!The list from just this week at Wal-Mart:
3 bunches of Romaine hearts
2 boxes of GV Butter Crackers (we had some summer sausage I'd made)
2 bottles of ketchup
1 box of beef patties (not all that delicious, but they work great for quick 'salsbury steaks')
2 bell peppers
1 cucumber
1 block GV Monterey Jack
1 block GV Mild Cheddar
1 dozen GV cream of mushroom soup
2 loaves GV Wheat sandwhich bread (yes, we bake our bread but once in a while it's just nice to have sliced bread around)
1 mega pack Parents Choice diapers
1 mega pack White Cloud Pull-Ups
1 large box 33-gal trash bags
1 large box 13-gal trash bags
1 24-count pack Angel Soft toilet paper (didn't go to Sam's or I'd have bought a case there)
2 bottles GV dishwashing liquid
a can of Repel bug spray -- there are more fleas around here than animals right now and they eat me alive outside!
A trip to Save-Alot netted me this:
4 5-lb rolls of ground chuck (sale priced)
3 boxes of shell pasta (it was all they had aside from spaghetti and egg noodles)
2 boxes of Raisin Bran (for muffins)
2 large cans pumpkin (for muffins)
2 packages hot dog buns (yes, I could have and should have just made them...)
2 jars mushroom pieces
And we stopped at the farm stand and bought 2 boxes (about 40 lbs) of red potatoes and a bushel of Granny Smith apples for that pie filling we made.
All in all, I spent around $120. Not my best effort at shopping, but not my worst either.
Coming up, late October, Miss Emily will have her next follow-up visit to LeBonheur's in Memphis and we will make a mega shopping trip at a little Sam's Club there. I swear, it must be one of the first ones -- looks like a true little warehouse and nothing like the mega Sam's Clubs with all the fluff and nonsense in it. It's stocked full of things I can't get at our local Sam's.
We will pick up the large restuarant-zized cans of veggies there --
a dozen peas
a dozen potatoes
a half-dozen mushrooms
a dozen sweet corn
a dozen kitchen-cut green beans
4 2-lb pkgs of dry yeast
2 containers of baking powder
2 bags of baking soda
4 cider vinegar (we add it to the chicken's and goat's water)
2 cases of TP
5-lb tub of real butter
2 cases of eggs (15 doz. each -- that's a month's worth of eggs for us)
4 bags of frozen broccoli
1 case hot dogs and 1 case hamburgers for the freezer stock
4 jugs of Olive Oil
4 bags of bread flour *
2 bags of sugar *
3 containers each of Beef Base and Chicken Base
2 large bags of rice
2 large bags of pinto beans
2 25-lb pails of lard
I'm hoping to get to the butcher in Corinth for a case of ground beef and a case of stew meat for canning as well. We'll see how that goes when the time comes. For other meat needs, I'll get several bags of cut up chicken, 2 cases of the 1-lb rolls of ground turkey, a case of the small turkey hams and I'd love to find 4 really od, decent-sized rolled roasts. I haven't had a truly good beef roast in years. The beef around here seems so small. Pork is the local meat d'jour.
Some other needs would be things like 6 tubes toothpaste, at least 6 bottles of shampoo, and 2 large bundles of a mild bar soap. I'd like to find someone carrying Kirk's Castile locally, but so far, nadda. I need 6 boxes of Washing Soda and 6 of Borax for laundry soap, as well.
I'd like to stop at Ada's for some grains as well. If I do, I'll call ahead on prices for their high gluten flour and fructose, instead of the smaller bags at Sam's. I need some more Tea Tree Oil and some dried catnip and chamomile for tea, too. Ada's has a great selection of 'supplements' like that.
I'm good on cornmeal and have a bucket of popcorn to grind and add to it. We seem to be good on the miscellaneous pantry things like a small variety of canned vegs (in normal-sized cans like the rest of the world buys) and BBQ sauces, pasta sauce, etc.
Now to get with D and find out more about the #10 cans of powdered milk! I stock up on the Wal-Mart loxes when I can, but Sam's quit carrying any, and really, GV isn't our favorite brandtaste-wise. It's one we can live with, but if the finds are there and we can, we'd prefer something different.
As to the funds...well, if things go as planned on the budget for next month, we have an extra paycheck. A great bonus would be having some over-time start, but that's not likely at this stage of the game. I juggled around the payments as I could where I only needed a full tank of gas for Emily's Memphis appointment that particular week. The rest of the paycheck is all gravy in the budget.
Honestly, we need to restock the pantry here in a serious way and not the little ways we've been doing this month. But a part of me is wanting to order the remaining schooling needs (about $300 total, including reading books we have as just a wish-list) then worry about the pantry. Another part of me is screaming buy the materials to enclose the front porch and get the stove pipe for the wood cookstove and set it up!
It's a good thing I have so many weeks to keep this in prayer. If it were today, I'd try to pinch the budget just enough to go stock some more fabric :o) I'm a fabric-aholic. I admit it.
I'm sure I'm forgetting some pantry staples...let me know what you see missing from my list here.
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