Brexit--Moody Blues, Go Now

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h42kzEA9l8Q  Moody Blues,

 but recorded first by Bessie Banks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prlWGe2EHro

Morning walks at Lakeside

I’ve been getting 5-6 miles a day in at Lakeside, staying on the flat east/west streets. North/south are steep hills. I don’t have the exact source, it may have been on one of the walking history tours, but Lake Erie used to be much larger, and the flat areas are the old (10,000 years or so) shore lines. So I don't get too worked up about climate change caused by humans.

But June when everything is fresh and deep green is a wonderful time to walk at Lakeside. Because of bursitis, I'm being cautious and not doing hills. I see the youngsters (60-something) marching up and down the north south streets and give them a nod and smile. Yesterday I came across a squirrel sprawled out in the street.  I thought perhaps it had been hit by a car, so I got closer and could see a faint heart beat. I thought I would call administration to have it removed before it was splattered everywhere, but a few minutes later I looked back and it was gone, crawling under a parked car. Perhaps it had fallen from a power line above and had the breath knocked out.

Always enjoy seeing what the latest shoe fashion is for athletes.  Yellow, pink, lavender, etc., all on the same pair. I'm wearing a very sturdy white pair--I bought them 2 years ago and set them aside.  Good thing, too.  Hard to find these today.

The lilies are so lovely this time of year, and now the hollyhocks are blooming. The lake provides a great back drop. This is actually an early July photo, but can't find the one from this week.

Jihad, the President and the Pope

Not a good time to be an American Catholic--both our President and Pope are messing with marriage! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLFyB-DxzmQ

If you watch the whole June 24 segment of The World Over (EWTN), it includes Dr. Sebastian Gorka, counterinsurgency expert and Distinguished Chair of Military Theory at Marine Corps University to discuss the aftermath of the terrorist attack in Orlando, the DOJ/FBI response and his new book, Defeating Jihad: The Winnable War. There is a concerted effort by this administration to disconnect the dots where the threat of Islamic terrorism is concerned. The surge of foreign born Islamic terrorists (many stopped) under Obama is frightening. Democrats can't wish it away or rename it a hate crime or refuse to name it what Mateen called it. Changing his word Allah to God the way Lynch has done is just insulting.

Then next, Pope Francis on marriage--Fr Gerald Murray, Robert Royal and Raymond Arroyo, the host. People are very upset with what the Pope has said about marriage. And if you think it doesn't matter because you're a Lutheran or Calvinist or Methodist, think again.  The Catholics have a much higher view of marriage whether or not the couple in the pew choses to obey.  He seems to want to lower the bar. Marriage is already under attack--this isn't helping. Marriage isn't what we said or thought in Sept 1960--every day we need to renew our commitment. If he wants people to come back to Christ, this isn't the way to do it.

A little history about the Pope's visit to Armenia

"In 301 AD, twelve years before Constantine legalized Christianity in the Roman Empire, King Tiridates III made Christianity the official religion of Armenia, the first national ruler to do so. The Armenians were subsequently conquered by the Romans, Arabs, Persians, Ottomans, and Soviets. In 1915, the Young Turks government attempted to exterminate them, massacring 1.5 million. In 1988, an earthquake killed up to 50,000 Armenians. That same year, a war between Armenia and Azerbaijan claimed tens of thousands of lives. . .According to a 2012 survey, 92 percent of Armenians consider themselves religious, the third-highest percentage anywhere (in the United States it’s 60 percent)." https://www.thecatholicthing.org/2016/06/25/pope-francis-and-the-armenian-church/

If you read the whole article, you'll notice the author isn't a fan of Pope Francis.    He has dual citizenship, U.S. and Poland. Big fan of John Paul II.

http://www.catholicworldreport.com/Item/4850/how_saint_john_paul_ii_conquered_communism.aspx


 

Beets and Brexit

I'm making a huge leap here, but I'm guessing the Friday Foreign Affairs discussion at Lakeside today will be on Brexit. It's always whatever has been in the news. Although Lakeside leans left with so many pastors and academics, probably 90% who will be at the discussion live on their pensions/investments, and I think we're in for quite a ride until this settles down.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/britain-shocks-world-breaks-with-european-union-british-leader-steps-down/

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/historic-brexit-vote-sends-dow-futures-plunging-650-points-2016-06-24

I just saw this on a noon TV segment--beet butter--but she said peel the beets and cook. Really? I've never heard of peeling beets before cooking, and this recipe just says scrub them. Anyone ever try this? Really pretty.

http://www.momseveryday.com/test/homes/headlines/Beet-butter-383161851.html

Ted Strickland meets with Cecile Richards--hide the babies!

Ted Strickland, pro-abortion Democratic nominee for US Senate from Ohio, held a meeting with Cecile Richards at the Ohio Democratic Party headquarters in Columbus yesterday. On average, Cecile Richards, CEO of Planned Parenthood, rakes in over half a million dollars in annual income, all while promoting and providing abortion-on-demand over 300,000 times every year. Nearly a year ago, she apologized for the gruesome descriptions found in undercover footage of her top medical director discussing the trade of aborted fetal body parts over wine and salad. Later, she fumbled trying to explain the apology, caught in the PR scandal of a lifetime. (Ohio Right to Life).

Richards, married to an SEIU union organizer, is the daughter of a former governor of Texas (keeps that name) and is worth about $4 million. Her 3 children were allowed to live. Strickland has an M.Div and is a former Methodist minister and former governor of Ohio. Cozy.

The great divide

It's no secret that I'm on here and Facebook a lot, plus several on-line e-mail discussion groups. That said, I think social media (blogging, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter [especially] and the others) are contributing to the break down of relationships among Americans along party lines, and probably Brits who just went through the Brexit vote. But it seems odd to me that Democrats feel more threatened than Republicans. http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/majoirty-democrats-republicans-very/2016/06/23/id/735374/

The Left is winning the culture wars. They control all the major voices of the entertainment industry, news media and academe, even the public libraries, so I assume they also control the voices of social media. I can only glance at some of The Daily Beast or Huffington Post--my blood pressure goes up. But they are the more mild of the left wing internet news sources millions read and link to. And Twitter?  I only see comments of who said what to millions of followers. Here at the lake house I see more broadcast news than at home, and am always amazed at the echo chamber as though the three networks had the same writers and producers.

Our culture has practically collapsed in the last decade. Hate for all religions, not just Christianity is growing-it makes the rants about homophobia look like jokes, and worldwide Christians are being martyred by the thousands. Religion is a threat to the current administration and the governments of China and Russia, and Muslims kill Muslims if not in the right group. Catholics are terribly divided in support of the current Pope who seems to them a little squishy on church doctrine.  The U.S. government bureaucracy has redefined sex to be something called "gender" without a vote from Congress or the American people. That's the core of society--if you can't agree on basic biology and a 50 year old male with some surgical alterations and a new birth certificate is allowed to play on a college women's team, where's the hope for saving forests, or feeding the poor, or immigration? What the left says about white Americans, particularly males, would never be tolerated if said about Muslims or gays or blacks. Do they on the Left not read history?

Obama's legacy with women

There go the Title VII and IX protections for women. Thanks, Obama, for yet another legacy.

"Gabrielle Ludwig is not like any other woman on the basketball courts, or in the locker rooms, in Santa Clara Community College’s junior team. Gabrielle is a foot taller than every other player and has significantly more upper body strength.

That’s because the 50-year-old player was born Robert John Ludwig, a man. He still bears the tattoos of his service in Operation Desert Storm.

This turn at college basketball is his second. His first stint in 1980 was as a man at Nassau Community College.

After his sex change operation this summer he petitioned to change his birth certificate’s sex from male to female.

That edit allowed his previous sports history to be wiped off his record. Ludwig is now eligible to play for two full years.

Even at twice his opponents’ age, Ludwig cuts an imposing figure at 6’8” and 220 pounds, a fact not lost on his coach – or his much smaller opponents."

Maybe he can be a grandfather figure for the girls on the team.

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/50-year-old-transsexual-8216woman8217-makes-college-basketball-debut-video

My $2 beach read

I have a "beach reading" novel I purchased used for $2. Debbie Macomber, "Summer on Blossom Street." The author brings her characters together through a "Knit to Quit" class, where knitting helps them recover from an addiction or bad habit. Now what mother of a middle age adult can't identify with this:

"He felt protective toward his mother and, as much as possible, tried to spare her any worry. In return, she felt it was her duty to look after him, to enquire about his diet and whether he got enough sleep and had enough of a social life. In most instances Hutch didn't mind. Lately, however, she'd been on this marriage kick. She said it was because she didn't want him to repeat his father's mistakes and bury himself in work." (p. 110)

 Perhaps I don't read enough fiction to know about the tough subjects, but this book has a theme about adoption and foster care and the anxiety and trauma for older children in the system. Also step-parenting, widowhood, loss of a parent as a young adult, and an abusive fiancé with a sex addiction, and their pushy parents who still want them to get married.

Some dogs and cats in the story who seem to be well adjusted.

This story always makes me smile--a repeat

My dad wasn't the warm, fuzzy type, but when he died in 2002, the library of old family stories closed. This one he passed along--my grandmother who was the library of family stories before him, didn't like this story at all.

My father's name was Howard William, and most of my life I thought he'd been named for his maternal grandfather, William, but late in his life Dad told me he'd been named for William Howard Taft, who was president until 1913. Taft would have just recently left office when Dad was born (inauguration was March 4 in 1913 and Dad was born later that March), but maybe my grandparents didn't like Woodrow Wilson. The doctor forgot to register Dad's birth name at the county courthouse in 1913, so when he went to file for Social Security at age 65, Dad discovered his birth certificate said, "Baby Boy" instead of Howard William. But both of his parents were still living, and when the clerk asked if anyone could confirm it, he said, "My mother and father."  So the county accepted their affidavit that he was what he'd been called his whole life. He wouldn't even crack a smile when we called him, "Baby Boy."

Mom's story isn't as funny, but is an example of the problems with birth registries.  The Lee County, Illinois, there was a court house fire when she was a child, which destroyed her birth record.  She had to have her brother Leslie , who was 10 years older, provide an affidavit of her birth.

What exactly is Daily Beast saying about President Obama?

I got a notice from The Daily Beast on Facebook that someone had "liked" something I said in 2014, so I clicked over to look. The background photo for The Beast was an artsy-fartsy collage comprised of 1) Gay flag, 2) Occupy mask (Guy Fawkes), 3) marijuana plants, very lush, 4) Communist soldiers of N. Korea, 5) President Obama, 6) a distant galaxy, and 7) can't really tell, but a guy with a stick looking into the night sky? What is the Beast telling us about the state of our country? You too can be rich, criticizing America?

The Daily Beast is a far left, on-line news source, formerly owned by Tina Brown and Newsweek, now owned by IAC/InterActiveCorp in case you don't look at it. It's become mega wealthy criticizing capitalism and rich people.

Over used idioms

There are a few phrases becoming more common by pastors, priests, politicians and professors and I sit on the edge of my seat waiting for them. They were all in this morning's lecture at Lakeside.

Let's unpack this .. .

What are the tools in our toolbox. . .

Let's have a conversation about . . .

Monday Memories along the Lakefront

I'm gradually increasing my walk time here at Lakeside (bursitis pain), and I like to walk along the lakefront and read all the memorials. It slows me down, but then what's the hurry in Lakeside?  A veteran of WWII born in 1921 who died in 1994--I wonder what he saw; a young child who died at 5 years old--would have children of his own now; a happy 60th anniversary Mom and Dad from the 1980s; a simple dedication to the trees in the park donated by a long time Lakesider. a street lamp  in remembrance of Hazel and Wendell Lutes, Sr. who may have strolled in the moonlight, and of course, the wonderful gazebo, a memorial for the Steeles who died in an auto accident, and now is the site of much happiness and music in the park and many weddings.

 

And although it's not on the lakefront, we have the wonderful Rhein Center serving thousands in the summer, a  wonderful memorial to C. Kirk Rhein, Jr. who lost his life on TWA Flight 800 in 1996.

 

About 8 or 9 years ago I asked if there was a record, but was told "we're working on it."

 

Link to 2007 blog on memorials at Lakeside

 

Other thoughts on memorials, and what might happen to your donation

 

Memorial tree is dying, too

 

Dad's name on a memorial

 

 

Sticky keys on laptop, walking the lakefront, and Father's Day

Here at Lakeside I'm using both my I-pad and my laptop, and occasionally some keys stick on the laptop.  Today I couldn't use the T or the Y so I switched to the I-pad and stated a substitution, but as soon as I did that, they started to work.

I walked 2 miles this morning, choosing the most level street (3rd) but also walked back on the lakefront, but did have to walk about half a block with an incline.  At one time the lake was much bigger, like maybe 8 thousand years ago (have you been warned enough about climate change), so the lakefront used to be much further south of here, with a gradual slope.  Even so, it was worth the extra effort.  The lakefront flowers were gorgeous, and it was much warmer than last night's prediction.

We'll celebrate Father's Day by eating breakfast at the Patio Restaurant after the Dockside church service.  Tomorrow my husband returns to Columbus for a church meeting, his guitar lesson and a doctor's appointment, so he'll have his Father's day dinner with our daughter and husband then.  He doesn't know it, but she's found the 2016 Maise Dobbs novel, and that will be one of his gifts.  Don't tell!  He has the set, but we didn't know about the latest one.   http://www.jacquelinewinspear.com/

Practical uses for leftover pickle brine

1. A Post-Workout Drink

Many sports medicine professionals swear by pickle juice as a method for staving off muscle cramps and replenishing lost electrolytes after intense workouts, according to NBC News.

Indeed, studies have confirmed that in large enough amounts pickle juice can be an effective treatment for workout-induced muscle cramps.

2. A Vinegar Substitute

One of the primary ingredients in pickle juice is vinegar, which makes it a good emergency substitute for vinegar in many recipes. Some individuals even use it for cleaning purposes – after filtering it, of course.

Pickle juice is great in marinades, salad dressings, and even bread dough! For recipes that include pickle juice, check out The Kitchn’s guide to culinary uses for pickle juice.

3. Hangover Cure

Alcohol is a diuretic. Drinking lots of it will basically leave you dehydrated. Fortunately, pickle juice can help to get your sodium levels back to where they need to be. Just take a sip before you got to bed.

4. PMS Remedy

It works the same way as it would for a post-workout cure because it helps to hydrate the body and alleviate cramping. Simply drink 1/4 cup of pickle juice.

5. Heartburn Relief

The vinegar in pickle juice can help with heartburn just like how Apple cider vinegar can help as well. Take a sip before every meal and see if you notice a difference.How To Recycle The Brine

One of the most popular ways to use leftover pickle brine is in recipes for pickling other foods! You can re-use pickle juice as a quick way of pickling more cucumbers, or other vegetables like radishes, summer squash, or even hard-boiled eggs in the refrigerator. Just make sure the juice is clear and doesn’t look cloudy or murky.

 

Food In Jars recommends that you only re-use pickle brine up to three times – after that, too much brine volume as been lost, and a scum may start to develop in the brine, making it less than healthy.

 

Now that you know several ways to use pickle juice, there’s no need to throw out this useful liquid again! Whether you drink it straight up or in a cocktail, use it in a recipe, or recycle it to make refrigerator pickles, there’s plenty of use for leftover pickle brine.

http://www.healthfreedoms.org/why-you-need-to-stop-throwing-away-that-pickle-juice-such-a-waste/

The President should read the Constitution

Have you ever read what the Constitution says about the duties of the President? Article 2. Section 2. It would almost make you laugh when you see what a monarch/caesar/king position we have today if it weren't so pathetic. I think there may be more words spent on the electoral system (Section 1). The gist is, his primary job is to be Commander in Chief of the army and navy, but he can also grant pardons, appoint ambassadors, judges, etc. (with consent of the Senate) and he...'s supposed to give a state of the union message from time to time. And although everyone says we have three equal branches, it's pretty clear on reading it, (Article 1, the longest part of the Constitution) that Congress was to be the power house, especially the House of Representatives, because that's how we the people were to have a voice, a voice no one in Europe had at that time.

By deduction, I'm guessing the Founders meant the President's primary job was to keep the nation safe. Given his awful, blame-game, finger pointing speech yesterday, calling for more gun control and chastising those who won't give it to him, I'd say he knows what his real job is, but he has to pretend it's not his fault that ISIS has taken center stage in the world and grown in power and become a threat here under his management. He refuses to say, the buck stops here, like Harry Truman. He hasn't kept us safe and he won't or can't.

Duplicity in the highest office

Even the gun shop owner reported Omar Mateen's odd behavior and questions, but because Muslims are a protected group in the "rules of engagement" issued by the WH, the FBI did nothing. Disney also reported him to the FBI in April. (Fox News, various interviews with store owner, and former FBI staffer, but it's also been on ABC and CBS in case you don't trust Fox). Then the president goes to the memorial service and comforts the families and uses their tragedy for his political gain. Sickening. The President confesses the Christian faith (member of UCC) with his mouth, but his heart is with Islam.

Hillary Clinton and the LGBTQ agenda

I haven't checked these amounts. You don't always know when photos appear on FB who or what is the source.  However, I do know that no country would donate to an American foundation (they don't get a tax break like we do) created by a former president and former secretary of state unless they expected payback/kickback/backscratch. We know Muslim countries have severe punishment for gays and transsexuals. Do we want that person in the White House who owes them? Why would the LGBTQ spokespeople endorse this when there has to be a time when the IOUs are called in?  What if she accepted donations from the KKK or Planned Parenthood (oh, wait, she does).

 

"Four oil-rich Arab nations, all with histories of philanthropy to United Nations and Middle Eastern causes, have donated vastly more money to the Clinton Foundation than they have to most other large private charities involved in the kinds of global work championed by the Clinton family.

Since 2001, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates gave as much as $40 million to the Clinton Foundation. In contrast, six similar non-governmental global charities collected no money from those same four Middle Eastern countries; the International Committee of the Red Cross was given $6.82 million. Since 2001, these global foundations have raised a staggering $40 billion to $50 billion to fund their humanitarian work." http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/election/article24782695.html

http://dailycaller.com/2016/05/11/exclusive-persian-gulf-sheikhs-gave-bill-hillary-100-million/

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/business/alatheia-nielsen/2016/06/14/clinton-foundation-takes-255m-countries-kill-imprison

Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/election/article24782695.html#storylink=cpy

Women and the draft

Women may soon be required to register for the military draft. What sense does that make? We haven't had a draft for decades, but this signals the reinstatement. Small countries need women in the military; ours doesn't. Our military right now is below pre-WWII levels, and we have a president who can't or won't lead and politicizes tragedies if they involve a favored group.

So what's up? Our military probably also isn't ready to accept draftees. Today's military of volunteers, both men and women, is the best in the world. Don't make the military branches another social service agency for creating "equality."

And no, I don't think women should be in combat, either.

 http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/15/us/politics/congress-women-military-draft.html?_r=0

 http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/06/15/482168066/in-defense-bill-senate-approves-plan-for-women-to-register-for-draft

How many American citizens are on the terrorist watch list?

• Are any on the list in error? 
• What if 90% are foreign? They can't buy guns here under current laws, right? 
• How do you deprive a citizen of a constitutional right without a trial? 
• Do they go to jail or just lose their 2nd amendment rights? 
• Are we safer if they use a grenade or bomb? 
• Are there other rights we can lose for being on other lists--like being members of a church, for instance, and therefore can't exercise our religious rights? 
• Or rights to assemble? 
• Were Tashfeen Malik and Syed Rizwan Farook (San Bernadino) on a terrorist watch list?  
• Was Omar Mateen on a terrorist watch list?
•  How does a terrorist watch list work if we're afraid of Muslims or being called Islamophobic?

Farook was a U.S. citizen; Malik a permanent resident; Mateen was U.S. born. Mateen had apparently been a trouble maker since elementary school, but was able to get security clearance to work for a Homeland Security contractor and his status as a Muslim protected him from co-workers complaints.