Simply Amazing!

It's astonishing to me how high profile ministers of the Gospel can associate themselves with people and movements which are in contradiction to what the Bible clearly teaches. The latest, Rick Warren, has agreed to perform an invocation at the upcoming presidential inauguration. I cannot criticize his theology, I cannot criticize his intent. I have never read one of his books. What I can comment on, and thus be critical of, is his joining himself together and giving tacit approval to a man who believes that the killing of one's unborn child can be justified, no matter what.
Pastor Warren is the darling of the media. He just wants us to get along. For him, there are no absolutes. Well Mr. Warren, there is a law, given by God, that clearly states that we shall not commit premeditated murder. Abortion is that. It is clear. There is no doubt, especially in the mind of God.

Enough Said!

From Paul

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
Paul's Letter to the Philippian believers, chapter four, verses six and seven.

It could have been Cuban…

The smell in the small room was not unpleasant because my dad smoked cigars on that rare occasion when someone would give him one for a child's birth or another celebration of some sort. I actually sort of liked the heavy odor and wondered what it would be like to smoke a stogie. Maybe sometime soon.

I can remember my dad in other bizarre ways too. The smell of bourbon and a dry-cleaned suit mixed together is something that reminds me of him. You probably think that's bad. Not so, my dad never abused any spirits, a cocktail was just part of the family routine before dinner was served. Funny how things cling to your brain after so many years.

The man behind the desk was a lot older than the salesman. Of course everybody looked older to me (they mostly were). You know sometimes I wish I had asked some of my teachers to tell me how old they were. I wonder now and there's no way to find out. Others have shared this dilemma with me and it is one of those mysteries that follows one around for life. I think I'm about forty-something in the blog picture, in case someone wonders. Anyway, hands were shook all around (even me) and we sat down. The man began to talk with Pop about the great new line-up of cars and how the costs had skyrocketed since so much improvement had been made. My father listened intently. I felt he should have been taking notes to help figure out what his new offer should be. How could anyone afford such technological superiority? After all of that, Dad said , "Here's the check for the car. It's all I have. Do you want to sell it?"

The sales manager read the check carefully and set it face down on the desk. "I can see that you're a man who knows his cars, Mr. Wilson. The only problem with this offer is that it is way below anything we could possibly take. It doesn't even cover our landing costs."

"Well it's the car I want, it's in the building, and that's what I'll give you"

"We can't do business, I'm sorry."

"OK, let's go Butch." That was the second time I had heard that. He continued, "That salesman said that this guy had the authority to sell the car."

"Now look, I've got to pay for the car and this building and commissions and service and delivery charges and there's no end to my expense. Surely, as a business man yourself, you can understand."

"I do, and I'm sorry. I also understand that you can cut your continuing losses on this car by getting rid of it. Out of inventory, off the insurance, get the spiffs from FMC, order another one. What do you want for it, anyway?"

The sales manager gave some price (I haven't any idea what he said), and my dad said, "You're kidding, I could get a Cadillac for a little more than that. Look, I'll add fifty bucks to this check, you can give it as commission to that young man out there, we'll take the car off your hands and you can rack up a sale. But that's as far as I can go. Really!"

"Why don't you and David wait here just a moment and I'll see if the general manager is in his office."

Twenty minutes went by. We were looking at all of the brochures and stuff that they had given us. They even brought in a couple of small Cokes and seemed very courteous. The man came back with another even older man in tow and hands were shook all around again. We all sat down and the oldest man began to use the crank adding machine. He had an official looking paper in his hand and he would carefully push certain keys, crank, push keys, crank, push, crank. The paper coming off the top was about six inches long. He must have found enough profit somewhere inside the machine because he turned to my Dad and said, "I think we're a lot closer than it seems. If you can afford just two hundred dollars more, you can drive her home".

Dad simply got up and we walked out the open door.

An Appropriate Sidetrack…

Well, if it weren't for Henry and Kay nobody would have appeared in this picture. Therefore, it is appropriate to digress from our car buying narrative to present the Wilsons and a few Thompsons.

It is great to have everybody in one picture and most are looking good! I seem to be getting a little thick through the center, but that's probably because I am on the edge of the lens' optimal focus acuity. Or not.

Can a Forty-Two Year Old Man Drive This With Impunity?

In my last entry, Pop had sent the salesman to the back of the showroom to check on some feature or detail that the Ford man couldn't answer directly. Having found out earlier that the exact car he had planned on was, in fact, in stock, and since my dad had also found out from somewhere else just exactly what that car was selling for (MSRP), he got out his check book and wrote a check for the offer. I never knew just how he figured how much to take off the asking price (now you figure about 84-87% is the dealer's cost). Anyway, when the fellow came back, dad handed him the check and said "I'll take the chartreuse convertible, with the tan top and black interior. This is what I'll pay you for it and I'll take the car home right now." The salesman never saw the net surround him. He staggers, twists, looks at the check amount and his face turns white. "You can't get this car for that price. No way, not today, not tomorrow!"

Immediately, Pop says to me, "Let's go Butch! They're not interested." We head for the front door. My dad's pace is hard to keep up with because he's nearly running for the door. The salesman, his fingers now touching because the check is gone, says nothing. Now before you think that we have been rude, I have to say that maybe my memory is not really accurate. Maybe dad said casually that he wants his check back, receives it, and then turns. I don't know because I'm as surprised as the salesman.

As the door begins to swing back closed after our exit, it's caught midway and the salesman says "Wait, Mr. Wilson!" Can't we talk about this? My dad says no and we continue across the sidewalk to our car, parked on Van Ness nearby. The salesman is soon accompanying us to the car and wondering what he could "do" to make this a happy day for everybody. Dad says simply, "Sell me the car!"

"I couldn't possibly do that, it's below our cost, no one buys for that these days."

"Well, I guess I thought you were in the car sales business"

"We want to see you in that car, but I just CAN'T do it that way!"

"OK" and dad opens the door on the driver's side of our car and I wait for him to unlock my side.

Somewhat pale, the salesman says "Can you wait a minute while I ask my boss?"

"I don't want to waste my time. There is another dealer down the peninsula and one in San Mateo who knows me. I thought you guys were competitive, I guess not. It's getting late and we have to get going."

"No wait. I think I heard that we had a deal going on this week end to help clear out a few cars. Let me check with the sales manager."

Dad closed his door, still standing in the street. I felt embarrassed at the loud conversation, but felt somehow that I wouldn't be going home in the same car we came in.

The salesman led us through the length of the showroom, up the stairs and down a hall. He knocked on the opaque glass door and opened it, asking whether whomsoever was inside had a moment. He did and we were ushered into an office with a huge desk and four chairs. The only thing on the desk was one of those crank operated adding machines and an ash tray.

How to make a grown man cry…

The first time my dad ever let me go with him to buy a new car was in 1950. I was twelve. It must have been a rite of passage thing. It seems to me that it was the first time that he had ever considered taking me along on a serious trip to accomplish a very important task.

We didn't go to  downtown San Mateo, oh no, we drove to San Francisco. Van Ness Avenue was "auto" row in those days and the buildings that the dealerships occupied were more like grand, multi-floored offices instead of the large, overcrowded lots we see today. There must have been someplace where the used cars were displayed. We never went there. All the salesmen were in suits, well fitted with sharp looking ties. They were all smoking, of course, gathered in the corner of the showroom probably doing rock, paper, scissors to see who got to talk to us (hah! a little salesman "ups" joke there). Did I mention that my dad was dressed up too, even though it was a Saturday. I had my best clothes on because we were in "the City". I'm trying to remember what the dealer's name was. Very famous and did a lot of advertising on the TV (when it came on around five in the afternoon, weekdays). The next "up" walked over to us and probably said something like, "they're really pretty THIS year and so much improved". My dad would be courteous and appear to be disinterested as if he had come in to wait out a rain shower or something. He would answer the salesman's initial words with something like "How could they have changed all that much in the last few years?" Of course the salesman would then take the bait and begin to explain all of the details about the new trim lines, colors, models and other "important" information. My dad already knew exactly what he was going to buy that afternoon. He also knew that if the car he wanted was in the building, it would be his in a few hours. I think he enjoyed "playing" the salesman like a trout in a shallow stream. The salesmen always thought that they were going to "catch" my dad. The truth of the matter is that he caught them.

After fifteen minutes or so of demonstrating Ford's new line of cars, the salesman began to think that no one could resist the urge to get whatever model came through the huge double doors in the back of the showroom. Pop would ask a more specific question which would make the salesman "go in the back" and find out. It could be about the model or a certain color availability, or even something like (gasp!), "do you have one ready to deliver today?"

Then Pop reached for the net.

A Partner for Life…

Sometimes, when I get excited about a subject, I forget to bring to light all of the important aspects of a story. That's what I've inadvertently done in the past few entries.

My mom.

Kathryn Elizabeth ("Cat") would have been one hundred years of age this year too. Her birthday is the twelfth of April, 1908. As I have related in earlier posts, my parents were married when they were nineteen. They both worked for the F.W. Woolworth Company in various locations around Texas and then off to the West - Yuma Arizona. That's another entry. The point I'm trying to make here is that my mom liked cars too. She didn't participate in the purchasing ceremony, but she contributed with her support of whatever my Dad came home in, well, most of the time. She looked good in the front seat. She NEVER drove when my Dad was available. As I think about it, that's pretty much the way Jeanie and I operate to this day as well. I'll tell you about the car that received the least support soon.

About buying a car.

In the light of what's happening in the automotive industry, I thought I'd explain over the next couple of days how my dad would buy a car. His method and his successful bartering skills are some of my fondest memories.
First of all, you have to understand that cars were an important part of my dad's life. The ritual of the "Sunday Drive" was real to me as I grew up, no matter where we lived. If someone visited, we all got into the car and drove them around town, or around the county or even around the state a bit, as time allowed. Our cars were generally no more than two years old. It was important that we had a new car every couple of years - "to keep up with changes". Looking back, it seems that we were neither a "GM" nor "Ford" family particularly. Why, I remember that the first car I ever drove was actually a Chrysler! A 1947 Chrysler New Yorker, four doors, of course and the prettiest dark blue you could imagine. It was always clean (I could have embraced that concept better) and it was always in the garage or in use on the road.
I'm happy to say that there were never any accidents, nor were there many speeding tickets issued or any pretentious motives associated with my dad's automotive choices. He chose cars on the basis of some decision he had made talking with friends, reading an advertisement or having seen that "perfect set of wheels" he had to have. These days, it seems like electronic stuff has replaced the automobile in my life. That is, as far as getting new models of things goes. I've had one car for nearly forty four years and our other car is a '99 model. I have somehow come to embrace the "axis powers" - one German and the other Japanese.
I digress. Tomorrow I'll get back on the subject of actually how to buy a brand new car, the Henry Wilson way.
Happy Birthday Pop, we all miss you!

A Very Special Day!

Today is my dad's one hundredth birthday. I cannot begin to tell the story of how much he means to me. How many times did I disappoint him? How many time did I make him happy? Hopefully, over the next few days, I'll be able to share with you (whomsoevers) the joy I feel in having a father like Henry Ramsey Wilson. As many as can be gathered are eating at the local Cambodian joint in Scotts Valley tonight. He would have liked the beef kabob and jasmine rice. A small amount of scotch could be served as well.
It's funny, but it looks like Braden Ramsey Wilson is riding on my dad's shoulders back in 1940. It's probably me, not him.

The Election

A lot of folks woke up excited Wednesday morning. Some were excited about winning, others about losing. I woke up knowing that no matter which of the mainstream presidential candidates had been allowed to win, I was a winner.

I voted for Chuck Baldwin. So did Jeanie (or so she says). Who is that? Sez you (click on the title of this installment). He's a good man among men and I share convictions with him about how these United States ought to, by law, be run. What makes me a winner is that there are several hundred thousand others who share the same dream. There are several of us "whackos" who live in the County of Santa Cruz. Upon chance meetings, we honk and wave and take energy from the encounter.

There are other "whackos" who honk and wave and somehow refer to themselves as being number one by elevating their middle finger in salute. Friendly.

One person had the audacity to declare to Jeanie that they were glad she "wasted" her vote. Wasted her vote.

Jeanie voted her belief that the word marriage means a covenant before God entered into by a man and a woman. A covenant designed to give the ultimate in satisfaction and comfort, companionship and sexual expression, procreation and nurture. It is something that God has ordained and blesses as people seek His guidance.

Jeanie voted her conviction that children ought not to be allowed to have abortions without informing parents. Children having abortions, sounds funny doesn't it? That's what is happening in our sex-crazed, television driven society. Parents divorced or both working, allowing "People" magazine or worse, to set the moral standard in the home. Actually, this is according to plan (more about that at a later date). Pastors have abrogated their responsibility to inform their congregations that abortion is murder. Premeditated at that. They have been frightened by men. They should be frightened of God.

Jeanie and I voted our convictions. We voted according to our world view. We have not made a pack with the devil and we are not responsible for what will happen in these United States in the next few years.

In 2012, should the Lord tarry, there will be a million more people who will have learned to vote their God-given convictions. There will be candidates who might even be allowed to talk about the issues. There will be churches whose leadership is not emasculated by the IRS.

It takes time.

Oh, President elect Obama has used his time like we thought he would. Here's a short news item from today's AP…

"CHICAGO – Barack Obama is signaling a shift in tactics and temperament as he moves from candidate to president-elect, picking sharp-elbowed Washington insiders for top posts. His choice Thursday for White House chief of staff — Rahm Emanuel, a fiery partisan who doesn't mind breaking glass and hurting feelings — is a significant departure from the soft-spoken, low-key aides that "No-Drama Obama" surrounded himself with during his campaign. And transition chief John Podesta, like Emanuel, is a former top aide to Bill Clinton and a tough partisan infighter, though less bombastic than the new chief of staff.
The selections are telling for Obama, who campaigned as a nontraditional, almost "post-partisan" newcomer…"

Remember the Little Red Hen?

I suspect that when the story started she wasn't "a red hen" but the more the time passed, the more she became truly "red". Anyway, the story goes something like this.

She called all of her neighbors together and said, 'If we plant this wheat, we shall have bread to eat. Who will help me plant it?'

'Not I,' said the cow.
'Not I,' said the duck.
'Not I,' said the pig.
'Not I,' said the goose.
'Then I will do it by myself,' said the little red hen, and so she did. The wheat grew very tall and ripened into golden grain.
'Who will help me reap my wheat?' asked the little red hen.
'Not I,' said the duck..
'Out of my classification,' said the pig.
'I'd lose my seniority,' said the cow.
'I'd lose my unemployment compensation,' said the goose.
'Then I will do it by myself,' said the little red hen, and so she did.
At last it came time to bake the bread.
'Who will help me bake the bread?' asked the little red hen.
'That would be overtime for me,' said the cow.
'I'd lose my welfare benefits,' said the duck.
'I'm a dropout and never learned how,' said the pig.
'If I'm to be the only helper, that's discrimination,' said the goose.
'Then I will do it by myself,' said the little red hen.
She baked five loaves and held them up for all of her neighbors to see. They wanted some and, in fact, demanded a share. But the little red hen said, 'No, I shall eat all five loaves.'
'Excess profits!' cried the cow.
'Capitalist leech!' screamed the duck.
'I demand equal rights!' yelled the goose.
The pig just grunted in disdain.
And they all painted 'Unfair!' picket signs and marched around and around the little red hen, shouting obscenities.
Then the farmer came. He said to the little red hen, 'You must not be so greedy.'
'But I earned the bread,' said the little red hen.
'Exactly,' said the farmer. 'That is what makes our free enterprise system so wonderful. Anyone in the barnyard can earn as much as he wants. But under our modern government regulations, the productive workers must divide the fruits of their labor with those who are lazy and idle.'
And they all lived happily ever after, including the little red hen who smiled and clucked, 'I am grateful, for now I truly understand.'
But her neighbors became quite disappointed in her. She never again baked bread because she joined the 'party' and got her bread free. And all the Democrats smiled. 'Fairness' had been established.
Individual initiative had died, but nobody noticed; perhaps no one cared...so long as there was free bread that 'the rich' were paying for.

But the rich had other plans. They created off-shore accounts and held their assets away from the probing eyes of the IRS. The bread continued to decline in quality and quantity. Some even say that it began to taste like sawdust. Some patriots began to plant wheat again and sell it on the black market. The hen called the farmer and gave away the locations of the markets and their times of doing business. When the national police arrived to confiscate the wheat, they were taken by its quality and decided to join the resistance. The bread was sweet to the taste. It was especially good with Chicken Cacciatore.

What We Need NOW!

"Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him". This is one of Dr. Charles Stanley's "life principles". It is a principle that we have forgotten as a nation and in many cases, as individuals.

As election day draws close, we find ourselves talking about two candidates, both having compromised their stated convictions. Each man is willing to forsake his standing before God to pander to the demands of popular opinion. Their motivation is pure lust, lust for power.

First, Senator McCain would give amnesty to illegal immigrants. These lawbreakers would be given a fast-track to citizenship. These people, no matter where they are from, have no desire to serve or sacrifice for this country. They would be citizens in name only. They would be living in a country which, in their mind, only serves to underwrite the expense of their existence. This is a slap in the face of natural-born citizens who have given their time, fortune and blood to defend the Constitution of these United States. It is perhaps even more offending to those millions who have obeyed the laws and completed the procedure which has led them to citizenship.

Senator Obama will stand before God some day and be asked why he supported the murderous agenda of the abortionists. He has set at naught the lives of the 40,000,000 children killed in the name of "freedom of choice". Freedom from the consequences of ungodly, immoral licentiousness.

We need leaders who live by the convictions they proclaim. They will take an oath of office and swear before almighty God to defend and preserve the laws of this Nation. Dr. Stanley's website offers this wisdom:

"Your convictions define who you are. They guide your decisions and determine your character. People who live by their convictions are not swayed by their personal preferences or popular opinions."

Convictions are beliefs we hold to be true, no matter what. In today's world we need to base our standards upon the tested and proven tenets of Biblical truth. Please consider going to www.intouch.org (a link is provided at the top of this page) and watch the sermon entitled "The Convictions We Live By". At the very least avail yourself of the free "Life Principles Notes" on the same site.

We need to change the direction of this Nation. God will not be mocked.

Why the Constitution Party of California?

Some say that your vote is wasted when you don't vote for a traditional mainline political party. This is nonsense!
A wasted vote is a vote for someone you know does not represent your own beliefs and principles. A wasted vote is a vote for someone you know will not lead the country in the way it should go. A wasted vote is a vote for the "lesser of two evils."
Voting for either man running in this presidential election is demonstrating your desire to maintain the status quo. There is little difference between the two candidates. Both will continue to increase the size of the government, freely spending your money with no accountability; both will continue to ignore their oath before God to protect and defend the Constitution of these United States; both will seek ties with foreign governments, eventually and surely diluting our sovereignty; neither will protect our borders nor will either man defend the lives of the unborn.
You truly waste your vote when you cast it for global pantheistic socialism - either Obama or McCain.

Therefore, don't waste your vote, make it count by voting for a candidate that advocates true change, not more of the same.
America and California need the leadership of the Constitution Party of California.
They pledge to:
Stop undeclared wars which are daily costing American lives and billions of tax dollars;
Stop reckless spending, including foreign aid, and take care of America’s domestic needs;
End debt financing of both Federal and State governments;
Terminate the Federal income tax, and restore a tariff based revenue system;
Immediately end international trade agreements such as NAFTA, WTO, and the proposed FTAA
Totally and Completely Secure Our Nations Borders
Defend America’s moral values; keep God in the pledge of allegiance and on our nation's coinage.
Fully protect the right to life of the innocent unborn;
Support high standards in education, including school vouchers, private schools and home schooling;
Encourage revitalized domestic oil production and nuclear power generation.
Defend Second Amendment rights;
Restore a Constitutional, asset based, money system;
Uphold traditional marriage and family values.

Investigate the candidacy of Chuck Baldwin for President of these United States. You can do that at 
http://www.baldwin08.com/

I can't stand it anymore!

It has been nearly three weeks since I posted anything here on the blog. I've had many reasons for ignoring my desires to tell the world what I think (a sign of wisdom, probably). But now I can't stop myself.

The time for registering to vote has passed. If you did not register, and you're eligible, you're an idiot. Sorry, sometimes it needs to be said.

Planning to vote for either Obama or McCain? You are ill-informed and possibly lazy to boot. There is plenty of documentation which would disqualify either man from being considered for the most powerful job in the world. Both candidates will continue the progressive policies which have been followed for the past half-century or more and energize our march toward becoming a third-world nation. Adequate evidence exists, demonstrating that they are both cut from the same kind of cloth. One is fancy, one is rugged, both are bought.

If you think the banking business is bad, wait until you see what will be unleashed by this new administration (either one). Simply put, the purpose of the election is to give the American public brief respite from their fall line-up stars and convince them that they are running the country. In reality, it's all about who gets to receive the taxpayer's dollars and control the distribution thereof. Simple as that. Follow the money, follow the power. If you think any different, you can join the ranks of those who, though qualified, didn't register to vote. The solution? Tomorrow.

Today in History - Part Two

Exciting things happen in September! Appeasement gives courage to the Nazis to start World War Two; I was born to Henry and Kathryn in Klamath Falls Oregon; my Porsche was released for sale by the factory. More important and most wonderful of all is of course, the birth of my first-born, Christopher Alan. What a birthday present Jeanie presented me with!

My parents had come to visit for the grand occasion. My mom was determined that Chris would be born on this day. She and Jeanie walked all over Victorville California that morning. I spent some time instructing in the Phantom and pulling a shift in mobile control. Chris came right in the middle of "happy hour" - 5:38 PM (1738 for you military folks). I recall the bill for several days' billeting at the hospital (including rations allowance) was about eight dollars. Here are pictures of my dad holding me and my dad holding Chris. Happy Birthday Chris, and many more!

Today in History - Part One

Some interesting things happened on this day. First of all, it was clearly demonstrated that appeasers are naive at best and just plain stupid or despicably treacherous. This is a picture of one famous appeaser. And this is the story that goes with it.
Neville Chamberlain is holding the paper containing the resolution to commit to peaceful methods signed by both Hitler and himself on his return from Munich. He is showing the piece of paper to a crowd at Heston Aerodrome on 30 September 1938. He said:
"...the settlement of the Czechoslovakian problem, which has now been achieved is, in my view, only the prelude to a larger settlement in which all Europe may find peace. This morning I had another talk with the German Chancellor, Herr Hitler, and here is the paper which bears his name upon it as well as mine (waves paper to the crowd - receiving loud cheers and "Hear Hears"). Some of you, perhaps, have already heard what it contains but I would just like to read it to you ...".

Later that day he stood outside Number 10 Downing Street and again read from the document and concluded:
'"My good friends, for the second time in our history, a British Prime Minister has returned from Germany bringing peace with honour. I believe it is peace for our time."

I can picture Senator Obama saying those same words as he returns from negotiating with the leaders of the Islamic horde. They will promise him anything, but they will deliver only death to those who do not believe in their false god.

So this day is an important one to burn into your memory. I have. Remember what appeasers achieve. But of course, it's easy for me to remember. I was born on 30 September 1938.

Extreme Porsche History

The Porsche that sits in the garage at my house was finally checked over and prepared for release to the motoring public on this 29th of September, back in 1963. It was assigned to delivery on the next day. I bought it on 14 May 1964, in Greenwich Connecticut and drove it to Victorville California. On that long solo trip across these United States, I was stopped three times. Not for speeding (although I probably was) but for the simple pleasure of showing the car to the various Highway Patrolmen who had never seen such a thing before.

I don't drive the car enough and it is unhappy. It always starts though. You just have to pump the gas pedal thirty times or so to prime the carbs. There's a little rust here and there, but it is generally sound. It's strange to compare it to the cars of today. This Porsche is made of metal. There's some bakelite, but no plastic. There's a wooden floor, but no exotic metals. There's a wonderful smell about it - gas and age - and the memories related to every assembled piece are priceless.

Breaking News! A New Rooster in the Coop!

Texas ten term Congressman and former Republican presidential candidate, Dr. Ron Paul, has announced his support for the Constitution Party's candidate, Chuck Baldwin. As reported in "World Net Daily" (see URL at right of this column), he was swayed to make the endorsement by former Republican Bob Barr, who is now running for president on the Libertarian Party's ticket, the same party which nominated Paul for president in 1988.

Paul's announcement also contained some scathing words for Republicans, Democrats and an election system that he perceives as "a gross deception."

"(The election process) is controlled by the powerful elite to make sure that neither candidate of the two major parties will challenge the status quo," Paul wrote. "There is no real choice between the two major parties and their nominees, only the rhetoric varies. The amazingly long campaign is designed to make sure the real issues are ignored."

Paul's endorsement, which comes at the end of his announcement is foreshadowed by his earlier words, trumpeting the call to unity among various groups seeking to overcome the two-party status quo.

"Principled people are not shy in participating with others and will defend their beliefs on their merits," he wrote.

This is Dave again. In my opinion, Dr. Paul's endorsement will give added importance to the Constitution Party's call for a return to the things which have made this country great - Rule of Law, not just lip service but real enforcement, and the recognition of our Country's Christian heritage. No, I have not said that we must become a Christian Nation! We must understand, however, that our strength has always come from our understanding and implementation of the Judeo-Christian World View. Biblical values, including the sanctity of life and swift and sure justice for all need to be restored.

It is my prayer that this important endorsement will allow Chuck Baldwin to demand equal exposure in the national and international media. This is a great start to what may become a realization of the fact of a third party's viability in this land where socialist party "D" and socialist party "R" have ruled the roost for so long.

Upon an Heptad of Decades, Part One

This is the first post that will bring to all the notification of my celebration of an heptad of decades. Sorry, you can't be the first to say, "You made it this far?"

The DMV of the good state of California greeted me earlier and announced my soon failure to be able to function (not unlike the FAA did ten years ago, when suddenly I couldn't fly safely anymore). But I fooled 'em all by passing the test and getting a new California drivers license (is there an apostrophe in driver's ?). After simply ignoring the illegals about the DMV office crying for my receipt, I drove home with impunity, demonstrating my newly certificated on-road expertise.

The only bad thing about this approaching natal day is God's strong warning,

Ps 90:10 The days of our lives are seventy years; And if by reason of strength they are eighty years, Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; For it is soon cut off, and we fly away.

Oh dear, but do you know the song, "We'll Fly Away"? Check it out here. My favorite. You'll have to cut and paste.

http://my.homewithgod.com/heavenlymidis2/flyaway.html

Thanks for being here, check in again soon.

The Days After "Constitution Day"

The past few days have been a disappointment to me. Oh sure, the economy tanked, but that's not it.

Obama's fervent support doesn't care about what he says or does as long as he's called "Democrat". He has said this about the Constitution in his popular 2006 book, "The Audacity of Hope", he writes, “I have to side with Justice Breyer’s view of the Constitution, that it is not a static, but rather a living document and must be read in the context of an ever-changing world.” In other words, the United States Constitution is a “living document” that Obama would like to twist and change.

And, John McCain's folks have set at naught his wartime abrogating his sworn responsibility to the Constitution. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt here, but it needs to be discussed. Furthermore, had John McCain and his fellow Republicans truly wanted to end legal abortion, they could have passed Congressman Ron Paul's Sanctity of Life Act. Year after year, Dr. Paul introduced this bill, and year after year, it sat and collected dust in the document room on Capitol Hill.

My friend Alan Caruba (http://factsnotfantasy.blogspot.com/) says, (I've posted this before)

"The nation’s capital is all about politics. It’s a company town and everyone who lives or works there knows that “issues” may energize those who follow events from afar, but it is taxation and the redistribution of money that is the real business of Congress. Who gets to do that is the reason the two parties square off against one another."

This is what we see today. The media won't hear of a third party candidate. And thus, we won't either. You can find out something about a true patriot at http://www.baldwin08.com/ .

Thanks for your time.

It's Time to Register!

If you are not registered to vote, you need to get busy! I have added a site (to the right of this post, under my picture) which will direct your efforts in this matter and there is no more excuse for not being ready to take action this coming November.

I am writing this because of an email I received from Gary Bauer (www.ouramericanvalues.org).

There, he quoted President James Garfield (President Garfield's picture is above left, little resemblance to Gary Bauer). Our twentieth president put the importance of voting plainly when he wrote in 1877:
“Now, more than ever before, the people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless, and corrupt, it is because the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness, and corruption. If it be intelligent, brave, and pure, it is because the people demand these high qualities to represent them in the national legislature. . . . [I]f the next centennial does not find us a great nation . . . it will be because those who represent the enterprise, the culture, and the morality of the nation do not aid in controlling the political forums.”

There are no better words to express the responsibility of our citizenry as we face the upcoming election. My friends, while we are 53 days away from the November 4th election, we are just 24 days away from the deadline to register to vote, which is October 6th in most states. Please take a few moments to make sure you and all your like-minded friends and family members are registered to vote

Another Candidate…

Earlier today, I was talking with my son who lives up North. He seemed to think that I was making a hard case against Senator McCain's and Governor Palin's candidacy for the executive offices of these United States. Well maybe I am. I am one of those "issues" guys and think we ought to judge our elected folks by what they do, not what they say.

Anyway, in the interest of fairness, here's some stuff about another candidate. Oh, but first some facts about Planned Parenthood.

The Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) is the largest abortion provider in the United States, with some 850 clinics across the country. PPFA purports to offer “a wide range of medical and counseling services and health care education,” but its primary business is providing abortion services. In the 2003-2004 fiscal year, the organization increased the number of abortions performed at its facilities by 6.1 percent (over the previous year’s total) to 244,628. At an average cost of $400 per abortion, it is estimated that PPFA took in $104 million from surgical abortions in 2003-2004 -- accounting for 34 percent of its $302.6 million clinic income that year.

In 2004 Planned Parenthood completed 138 abortions for every adoption referral it made to an outside agency. During the 2004-2005 fiscal year, PPFA reported 1,414 adoption referrals (one adoption for every 180 abortions). During its 2005-2006 fiscal year, the organization performed a record 264,943 abortions; garnered $345.1 million in clinic income; took in $212.2 million in donations; and received record taxpayer funding of $305.3 million. Total income reached a record $902.8 million.

Here's what Senator Barack Obama says about the organization.

“Now the good news is that there has been a decline in the teen birth rate, in part due to the outstanding work of Planned Parenthood"

Oh, did I mention, my son, you know, the one who lives in Washington State? He's adopted.

Barack would rather see him dead.

Ghosts

I love the picture of President Eisenhower and his VEEP of choice, Dick Nixon. It's a few blogs down. It's almost as if they're laughing from their graves. Two insiders, deeply entrenched, in "the know" and ready to perform.
What fun politics is. We have been given the greatest show on earth. We laugh, we cry, we throw things at the TV (carefully). When we lose, we weep and sob, throw dust into the air. When we win, we weep for joy and send emails of condolance.
Then we all get a new six pack and refresh the batteries in the remote and get back to the late fall line-up.
What happened with the 1994 Republican Contract With America? Not much. What happened to unwanted babies with a Bush presidency and a Republican house and Senate? They died.

The Bible says,
Ec 1:9 That which has been is what will be, That which is done is what will be done, And there is nothing new under the sun.

My friend Alan Caruba (http://factsnotfantasy.blogspot.com/) says,

"The nation’s capital is all about politics. It’s a company town and everyone who lives or works there knows that “issues” may energize those who follow events from afar, but it is taxation and the redistribution of money that is the real business of Congress. Who gets to do that is the reason the two parties square off against one another."

Senator McCain

Last night, Senator John McCain accepted his party's nomination for President of these United States. His speech was well written (by himself and others, I understand). It was delivered in McCain's style (no Sarah Palin there). He made the promises so correctly missing from his running mate's speech the night before.

I have tried to understand what he wants to do. This brief excerpt helps me understand that he is thinking correctly, albeit, unconstitutionally. He said,

"Education is the civil rights issue of this century. Equal access to public education has been gained. But what is the value of access to a failing school? We need to shake up failed school bureaucracies with competition, empower parents with choice, remove barriers to qualified instructors, attract and reward good teachers, and help bad teachers find another line of work.

When a public school fails to meet its obligations to students, parents deserve a choice in the education of their children. And I intend to give it to them. Some may choose a better public school. Some may choose a private one. Many will choose a charter school. But they will have that choice, and their children will have that opportunity.

Sen. Obama wants our schools to answer to unions and entrenched bureaucracies. I want schools to answer to parents and students. And when I'm president, they will."

He neglects to mention home schooling. He wants the "teacher's union" (an oxymoron) to support him (unlikely) so he fails to encourage the one method that has saved education in this country for several years now.

There are many other great promises to be kept. The entire recitation can be found at

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0908/13179.html

I hope that you will go to that site and copy the entire speech to your word processor. Email it to yourself and file it in your "to do" box. If he gets elected, let's all make it a point to check off the items he has promised us as they are accomplished. I hope that we are very busy checking and checking.

August Memories…

Okay, I KNOW it's September already, but give me some editorial freedom here.
I couldn't help but have the same feelings last night as I watched Gov. Palin deliver her acceptance speech as I did back in late August of 1956 when I watched President Eisenhower deliver his speech at the Cow Palace in San Francisco.
I was a recent high school graduate, ready to tackle the world. A delegate, a "Young Republican" from San Mateo, to the Republican National Convention in San Francisco. What could be better? The sense of awe, the giddy wonder at the going's on. For three or four days my friend Jerry and I drove the twenty miles or so to South San Francisco and did what most anybody older than us told us to. We handed out signs, we got coffee, we generally made ourselves useful.
Then the time came for the appearance of President Eisenhower. The whole place was alive with the chant of "We like Ike!" Thousands of balloons were dropped, he came in with Mamie at his side, and delivered his address. Afterwards Dick and Pat Nixon joined them on the dais. Everyone was yelling, clapping and cheering for these heros of the hour.
Last night in Minnesota, the same thing occurred. I suspect that it will repeat itself tonight when John McCain makes his acceptance speech. Americans love a good convention. The party is buoyed up at these things and great energy is infused in all who watch or attend.
If you are an astute political observer, you expect great promises to be made. Usually the moon is mentioned as easily obtainable. World peace and justice for all is assumed. Last night's speech - nothing, no promises! Great. What we saw was a strong, confident "soccer mom" defend her lifestyle. She demonstrated that she is a real person. A woman who knows how to handle herself in stressful situations and she's not afraid to attack the PTB. I hope this is correct. It seems so. I am very happy about her candidacy and I wish her and Senator John McCain well.
It will be interesting in the next several weeks to see how "organizing a community" will become more important somehow, than being the governor of the great state of Alaska.

Listen to George…

"Let me now take a more comprehensive view, and warn you in the most solemn manner against the baneful effects of the Spirit of Party generally. . . . A fire not to be quenched, it demands a uniform vigilance to prevent its bursting into a flame, lest, instead of warming, it should consume."
George Washington
1796 - Farewell Address
Reference: George Washington: A Collection, W.B. Allen, ed. (519-20)

"bane" noun [usu. in sing. ] (baneful)
a cause of great distress or annoyance• archaic, something, typically poison, that causes death.

Today, people are literally fighting to see that their party's candidate gets elected in November. No mention of qualification, issues, world views, loyalties or biases.

VOTE DEMOCRAT! WIN!

VOTE REPUBLICAN! WIN!

That's the only thing that's important. Both organizations are run by the same people and we have been allowed the perception of change every four years to assuage our fear of losing control.

Ron Paul got it right when he said,

"Since the change of the political party in charge has not made a difference, who’s really in charge? If the particular party in power makes little difference, whose policy is it that permits expanded government programs, increased spending, huge deficits, nation building and the pervasive invasion of our privacy, with fewer Fourth Amendment protections than ever before?"

Something to think about.

Gov. Sarah Palin

Gov. Sarah Palin. I have been talking about her since June. Well, not to you.

Actually, I'm still enamored of Chuck Baldwin, but I'm moving towards the "get rid of the socialist movement" which might have a toe-hold in this VP candidate. Maybe not.

Oh, how wonderful it was to see Ophra on TV again (I don't watch at 4PM for personal reasons). She was so insightful as she described her tearful response to the encapsulated socialist line.

Will I get into trouble with this entry? I hope so.

Please check out Chuck Baldwin. A simple favor to me and your country.

http://www.baldwin08.com/

Thanks for your time.

"Hen" and "Kat"

In my mom's "Memory Book" the first page dates the work - September 12, 1926. There are about one hundred pictures glued on to the thick, black sheets. Most of them have some initials penned nearby, some a name, but most are unclaimed. Too bad, for me. The ones that have a name that's understandable give me hope that I can find out something about my mom's side of the family. There's Fields, her maiden name, and Bechtold, her mother's maiden name and the family name of some folks identified as cousins, "remember me as your true cousin" writes Viola Bechtold. Others say that too, "remember me as your true cousin". I wonder why they said that? There's Mary and J.C., Bettie, Jewel, Velma and Ernestine. Oh, and Henry - "always remember me as I was while in your town - always. Henry "Hen"". These pictures are of my mom and dad when they were about eighteen years of age. Living the good life (what a tie!). Having fun with friends and writing casual messages that would come to be oh, so true.

Cooking Tips - Something good!

OK, I said I'd get something here everyday, and I'm trying. Here's a recipe. Oh look, you say, He's just trying to fill the void of good stuff with a silly recipe for something anybody can get in a can or bag at Trader José (I am in California, after all).

No, a thousand times NO!! I have been contemplating releasing this method for hash browns for the last three weeks. Now, I have to say up front that it is not my recipe. It comes from an edition of "Sunset" this past year sometime, and they got it from someone who wrote in to reveal it as their favorite thing. Well no wonder! Who doesn't like hash browns? Who doesn't love grating potatoes and onions and frying them in huge quantities of oil? Who doesn't like cleaning up the stove and cutting the splatter with a tablespoon of Mr. Clean? Who? I say.

Well no more. We have been freed from the misery of hash brown remorse. Here's how it goes.

OK, at the grocery store, be sure that you get a small onion, some garlic and a five ounce bag of "salt and pepper, krinkle cut potato chips". Work with me here and don't laugh too soon.

Cut the onion up into a bunch of pieces (I never counted) I think they say "chopped". And get the garlic in the same condition, only finer. Put a little oil in a cold frypan and the onion and garlic. Start the heat. Bring the temperature up and cook the mixture 'til they are translucent. In the meantime, cut the top off of the potato chips (so the bag won't make a hard pillow), and crush the chips with your hand or if you are a "gourmet cook" use your stainless meat pounder. Leave a few pieces about an inch square so people can know where the potatoes came from. After the onions and garlic are done, pour all of the crushed potato chips into the frypan and stir them around for about five minutes or so, let them get good and hot. Have a cup of water and a tight fitting lid for the pan somewhere within reach. When the potato chip, onion and garlic mixture is hot, pour the water into the pan and slam the lid on tight. Set a timer for about six minutes. Turn the heat down to medium. Wait, don't peek.

You can peek briefly, if you want to, to put four eggs in little depressions you have made in the mixture before you put the water in. Do this at about three minutes. If you like really hard eggs, put them in just before you pour in the water. They'll be hard as Easter eggs. Three minutes is better.

After the six minutes is up, take off the lid and crisp up the "magic hash browns" to your liking. We put graded cheddar cheese on them while they are crisping up. It's good.

OK, so they're not like those "browns" you get at one of those places you see on "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" on the food network. But who wants to come in a five AM, boil new potatoes 'til half done, squish them out on the hot plate (do you have a 4x5' stainless steel slab in your kitchen? Can we see it?). Well, you get the idea. Try it, you'll like it. They ARE NOT SALTY, but they don't need anymore salt. The chips are seasoned just about right.

Crab from the Monterey Bay would be better.

What a Bust!

No, not that woman I saw at Nob Hill an hour ago, but rather my resolve to get something on this blog most everyday. It's harder than it seems to the newbie.

A new beginning!

Here I go again. Promising to get something added here at lest a few times a week. It says somewhere that my mind is here most days, well it hasn't been true. Come to think of it, it may be true in that I've been giving myself a huge guilt trip everyday that I don't get here and put something down.
Whatever. It's been hot, it's not my table, I ran out of gas, the Olympics were on, the Democrats are having a liberal orgasm in Denver. (What a mess that'll be.) I'm getting angry with the general citizenry who'd rather "win" than vote the issues. A whole bunch of things keep me from doing what I have to do - and want to.
My parents. We left off the story as they met and dated, thought about marriage and did it! All the wheres will be in tomorrow's post (DV) and a couple of great (IMHO) pictures of them in the early days. PLUS! the added attraction of a complete listing of all of the places we ever lived and why we moved so much.
Stayed tuned, family members. Casual observers will not be left out either - recipes and valuable stuff to be included in every edition.

Now what to do about an illustrative item…

The Wilson Kids

When Henry and Dianna were married on December 8, 1893, they continued to work on the farm. Later, in 1920, they moved into Corsicana Texas and Henry got into the contracting business. I still have two of his block planes.
Here are the children born to Henry and Dianna…
Grace Rosser, Sept 18, 1895
George Calvin, Oct 8, 1896
Nora Pearl, June 5, 1898
Eva Mary, Feb 16, 1901
Velma Lou, May 13, 1903
Rosa Marguerite, Sept 16,1906
Henry Ramsey, Nov 20, 1908
Rufus Carl, Apr 13, 1910
Jewell Woodrow, Apr 28,1913

Rufus Carl lived to be barely three months old.

Here's a picture of most of the family (George is missing) and a few of Dianna's brothers and their wives. My dad is in the white shirt in the right foreground.
Now, with this background complete, I can share a few things about my folks. After all, it's their centennial we're celebrating!

Prisoners of War

My aunt related a story to me years ago that goes something like this…
"During the recent unpleasantness here in the Nation, when brother fought against brother, there arose, of necessity, camps where prisoners could be safely incarcerated. A prison camp for Confederate prisoners of war was built at Point Lookout, Md., on the tip of the peninsula where the Potomac River joins Chesapeake Bay. In the two years during which the camp was in operation, August, 1863, to June, 1865, Point Lookout overflowed with inmates, surpassing its intended capacity of 10,000 to a population numbering between 12,500 and 20,000. In all, over 50,000 men, both military and civilian, were held prisoner there.
Two men in particular were held in the camp and not repatriated until the end of the war. They did not know each other, nor did they ever meet, neither would they. When the war was over, each returned home. One to Tennessee, and the other to his home in Georgia. Some years later, both of these men moved to Texas with their families. It was the fastest growing state of the union at that time. They both began farming. Again, years later, a son Henry Wilson and a daughter Dianna Ramsey met and married. Diana and Henry were married in 1893, both of them were 23 years of age at the time. The story of their fathers' prisoner of war status became known. Their fathers had been together in the Union's Prisoner of War Camp.

Catching up some

When you take a day off from writing these things you forget what you've written. At least I seem to. I've mentioned more than once that my parents met at a Woolworth store, were married in 1929, and were then transferred westward, never to live in the South again (unless you consider St. Louis a part of the South). Well, here are a some of pictures of the newly wedded couple and the store in which they first met. You'll note that the candy counter is on the right. You can see the glass case and with imagination those chocolate covered raisins I told you about. As an aside, most know that the Woolworth Company went out of business quite a few years ago. It would have killed my dad. Like so many large corporations seeking the most profitable path, the Woolworth Company started hiring "Harvard MBAs" as executives and they soon sold the assets of the company to show greater profits. Before that, there had never been in the history of the corporation, an executive who had not started as a stock boy many years before. The people who populated the Woolworth Building in New York City knew their retailing. I fear that they didn't know what was happening in our Country in terms of the regional shopping center.

More about "Kat"

Whoops! I found out some more stuff about my mom, "Kat". The place where she was born wasn't exactly like the "Ritz". Her single mom Kathryn (Bechtold) Fields hadn't yet found someone to replace the man who died. The house was simple. We think "shack" but it held the heat as best it could and Kate raised the kids (Myrtle and my mom) as best she could. A sharecropper's wife who becomes a widow has a tough time. When my gramma Kate (know to me as "meemaw") remarried, they moved into town. Unfortunately Mr. Harrison didn't last either. Meemaw had to move in with Myrtle and her husband Edgar, a welder. He didn't last long either. Tough times those late twenties and thirties. Here's a picture of the house, young meemaw and and the Grandmother I loved so much. My mom met my dad when she was working at the candy counter and they married in 1929, Easter Sunday, in fact. They moved to Yuma Arizona and further west, Hanford, Klamath Falls, El Monte, Spokane, Glendale, Seattle, San Mateo, etc. It's all to come.

More about Kathryn Elizabeth

OK, so I took two days off! Sorry.
I'm trying to get together what I want to say about my mom here. It's kind of sad in a way. I don't know much. Her family? Well I think she had two step brothers and a biological sister. She was born a Fields and stayed that way, but her dad apparently passed away and her mom remarried to become known as "Kate" Harrison. Pretty lady and a great cook. Can I assume that my mom was named after her mom? Probably. Her sister's name was Myrtle, she married a man named Edgar Boaze. They had two boys, one, Jerry, was killed in a car accident at age 16 or so and Bill, the older of the two lived in Houston at last contact. Mom's family was always poor and she was seemingly embarrassed by that most of her life. They were dirt farmers and my mom was born in a house that had only three rooms and no plumbing or electricity. That's about all I know. I think it's really sad that there isn't more. I have some good info on my dad's side of things. Here, not much more.
Mom married that good looking store assistant in 1929, and they moved to Yuma Arizona. The Woolworth Company at that time established a western division and therefore they always moved west, never to see Texas as home again.
I'll continue this short family tale tomorrow with something about my dad and then we'll get back to what's really important - their legacy and what has or hasn't changed in the last one hundred years.

27 She watches over the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many daughters have done well, But you excel them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised. (Proverbs 31)

Quick Bible lesson…

"…and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done."
Gen 2:2

How much has changed in one hundred years?

Today, I am paying honor to my parents and their long lived love for the Lord and each other.

It was written of Henry Ramsey Wilson, "What a fine Christian man! That's why he went so for in the business world - he worked hard and was honest. His bosses could depend on his every word as being true." What a wonderful thing to say about someone. His success in the retail world was not because of wile or guile, but hard work and a sense of fairness for everyone.

He started in retailing as a stock boy at the F.W. Woolworth store in Corsicana Texas in 1923. He was 15 years of age. He retired in the Woolworth Building in New York in 1973 - fifty years! I can remember my folks getting Christmas cards from people who worked for my dad throughout his career. From former secretaries to corporate executives - worldwide, they all had fond memories of Henry and Kay.

Back in those early days in Corsicana, the Woolworth store was the place to go for almost anything a person wanted, except for groceries, perhaps. There were sundries, household supplies, bits of hardware, candy and those hot, fresh cashews. MMMMM!

At the candy counter one could purchase as much as you could afford. "A nickel's worth of marshmallow peanuts, please" or on a good wintry day, "a dime's worth of chocolate covered raisins. I've got a date!" Behind the counter, carefully weighing treats by the scoop, making change and noticing the young assistant manager, was Kathryn Elizabeth Fields.

Centennial Week-end

This is the week-end where we celebrate the one hundredth birthday of Kathryn Elizabeth (Fields) Wilson and Henry Ramsey Wilson. Both born in 1908, April twelfth and November twentieth, respectively. This week-end marks the mid-point between their two birthdays and it seems a good idea to me to begin celebrating by starting several editions of this blog which will honor their lives and legacies.

There will be more tomorrow, as the Lord tarries.

“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you." Exodus 20, verse 12.

What to do?

There are times when we do know what God's purpose is; whether we will let the vision be turned into actual character depends upon us, not upon God. We need to learn to thank God for making known His demands. (from Oswald Chambers)

The vision that God sends us changes over time as well. It's not the same now that it was, say, thirty years ago. Those were the days of optimism and stamina. It seems now that that was sort of self-centered. As I look back though, I can see that the good Lord had everything in mind correctly and the blessings that have worked themselves into my life have been His alone to give. Nothing for me to get. Seeking first His Kingdom doesn't mean looking to set up a great place to live here on this old earth. Too many people are working too hard on that end of things and they never seem to see that it is all in vain. God's purpose and timing are set. We thrash around trying to change His immutability, but I suspect that at most, He's simply amused.

Isa 55:8, 9 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD.
"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts."

Gosh, I wish folks could understand that, and enjoy the security it brings. It surely doesn't mean do nothing. But I'm sure it does mean work hard at that which the Lord God has set within you. How much fun it is to His Holy Hand clearing the path.

When Jeanie and I were taking folks to Israel, I sometimes thought, "What would it have been like to live in Bible times?" Read the paper, listen to the news. We ARE living in Bible times! More later.

What do YOU want?

In the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy, chapter 4, verse 9, God inspired Moses to write: " Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them."

It seems to me that a lot of parents these days have forgotten that Godly advice. Which part? Well, both parts, I suspect.

Today, I am struck by the "be careful" and "watch yourselves closely" parts because it seems that I have been driving out to the doctor's offices and sitting around there more than I'd like. No, I'm not particularly sick nor saddled with some horrid disease, but I am beginning to be concerned about how much of my grandchildren's lives I'll see. They say it's never to late to change a bad habit. They also say, "You won't live forever!" Here then is the dilemma. Change a bad habit and live less well a few more years, or continue in moderation and enjoy life to the fullest measure that God allows. Of course there's no simple answer. Motivation is the key.

Four grandkids, wonderful children and a loving wife encourage one to hang in there and not grow old. I have decided that my brain is the only part of me that I can readily keep in an immature state. Oh, I know, people will complain when I don't stand aside and let the anointed youth race by with their iPodded ears and bloodied thumbs. I have decided to demand what's coming to me with three-score and ten.

The problem is, I've already got it. More than I could wish for.