My summer of 1958, part 2

In the summer of 1958 I lived on my grandparents’ farm near Franklin Grove, IL when they were in their 80s and I was 18.  (See Part 1)  They were lured back to Illinois with their young son Leslie in 1908 from Wichita, Kansas, where they had lived since 1901 with  the promise of this farm home to help her ill father, then in his 80s. They took care of him until he died in 1912.  My grandmother was the only survivor of his four adult children, her oldest brother Ira having recently died of blood poisoning from an injury on his farm near Ashton and the home place. (Diphtheria and childbirth having taken the other two, Will and Martha, in the 19th century.)  Ira was the one who was helping her father manage the farms.

What our family knew as the farm house had been put together using a small house ca. 1850s, and a larger, early 1900's style, an unspectacular, 8 room, boxy farm house. Grandma had it remodeled adding a huge gracious dining room, with a bedroom and balcony above it where she had hanging plants and flowers and a second staircase, a big airy kitchen with "modern" features like a built in corn cob storage for the blue and black cookstove, manual dishwasher, a metal topped table with flour bins, a walk-in pantry/storage room, an upstairs servant's bedroom, plus two bathrooms, a dumbwaiter, a generator in the basement and a utility sink at the back door for washing up before entering the house. The dining room and the bedroom above it were the new part that joined the 19th c. and 20th c. houses together.

Some updates had been done by 1958, but the house was in poor repair.  Grandpa was not “handy” and Grandma was not a fastidious housekeeper, being much more interested in the business end of farming. And they were old—his hearing had failed, and she’d had several small strokes and falls. So, according to my steno pad diary the well wasn’t working and I was hand pumping the water I used for cleaning, cooking and dishes.  I don’t mention our drinking water in the diary, but it does give me pause to think we were probably drinking unsafe water.

I didn’t understand it then, but do now—Grandma fretted to the point of tears that she wasn’t there when Martin came to fix the well the first time.  According to my diary, Martin didn’t return until June 6.  I can’t recall how the laundry was done, but mentioned in the diary  (June 3) that Grandma had worn herself out and was out of breath gathering up laundry and we had to rush to get her to the hair dresser.  On June 6 I noted I drove to town, mailed some letters and picked up the laundry—it was $8.10.  That day after working in the garden I wrote that I washed my hair and tennis shoes—and I used only one bucket of water to do both jobs!

I wrote that the well drillers came on June 18th, and by the 20th were finished after 105 feet of drilling and finding 41 feet of water although I was still pumping pails of water for household use. A plumber had to reconnect the house to the well source.   Usually, taking a bath wouldn’t be  an event for a teen diary, but I mentioned it on June 27, and washed my hair on the 28th so maybe it was awhile before we got water in the house.

How to make schmaltz

https://www.splendidtable.org/story/how-to-make-schmaltz

We eat a lot of chicken, particularly thighs—that’s the best flavor because of the dark meat.  I prefer to buy it with skin on and bone in because the flavor is better. Sometimes I cook one to have broth on hand, and skim it.  However, I always remove the skin before baking because it just looks and feels slimy.  Well, little did I know this can be rendered to chicken fat and then used in various recipes. The skin and fat can also be purchased at butcher counters.  As much chicken as we eat, that shouldn’t be necessary.

• Skin and fat from 8 chicken thighs (or 2 cups/450 grams miscellaneous reserved chicken skin and fat)
• 1/4 cup/60 milliliters water
• 1 Spanish onion, cut into medium dice

Yield: 1/2 cup/120 grams schmaltz and 1/2 cup/60 grams gribenes (craclkings)

https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/hard-cider-gravy-chives

http://www.countymarketnorthbranch.com/Recipes/RecipeFull.aspx?RecipeID=33011  Looks like it’s tasty in place of butter for mashed potatoes.

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/the-nosher/why-schmaltz-is-your-secret-weapon-for-the-best-thanksgiving-sides/?

A new way to fix chicken

I got a new recipe in September for crock pot chicken, but I decided to use it also for baked chicken thighs, and the sauce/paste makes a wonderful spread for crackers.  Mix Panko crumbs, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning into a paste like texture, and then spread it on the thighs before baking (I always remove the skin, see above note).  Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes.  Quite yummy.

My summer of 1958, part 1

If you had said to me, “Remember the time you lived at the farm and the well was dry?” I would have responded, “I remember the farm, but don’t recall a problem with the water.”

That’s why it’s nice to have a diary, that retro pen and paper version of a blog, which stands for [world wide] web log. While searching for another notebook, I unpacked a box and found my diary from 1958, a stenographer’s notebook with green tint pages and perfect handwriting in real ink, telling about my days with my grandparents on their farm between Franklin Grove and Ashton, Illinois.  I was there from June 1 to July 12, 1958, and indeed, the water problems were a focus of the first few weeks. I’d totally forgotten that part about pumping water, using a bucket, and driving to my parents’ home to take a bath.

To back up a bit, you need to understand my mother.  Just the sweetest and dearest soul, and always had a solution to anyone’s problem, especially anyone in her family. After my freshman year at Manchester College I wasn’t happy, and wanted to transfer, but I also needed a job for the summer.  My Oakwood dorm friends had all secured something interesting or exciting, and I was faced with going back to Mt. Morris and perhaps working at the drug store where I worked in high school, if it had reopened by then (had been a fire), or fill in at the town library (yawn) where I’d also worked in high school.

The steno pad’s first 10 pages were filled with notes comparing Manchester with Murray--the history, religion connections, majors, costs (Manchester’s tuition and fees were higher, but room and board lower—and all laughable by today’s standards, ca. $1,000/year).  Also in the steno pad were notes about the University of Chicago in a fine arts curriculum and vocational guidance with a minor in Spanish. Expenses were higher—about $1,755, but student jobs looked plentiful.  And then notes about the University of Illinois, what would transfer, a major in Spanish and a minor in Russian.  The notes end there, but I did transfer to Illinois and just by coincidence, that’s where my boyfriend was.

So back to Mother.  I got a little sidetracked.  She knew I was unhappy and that I didn’t have a job;  she knew her parents who were 82 and 84 (b. 1876 and 1874) shouldn’t be alone in their big old farm house in very poor condition. Although Mother and her siblings Muriel and Leslie, and the neighbors checked in often, it wasn’t the same as someone in residence. Neither one of them would consider moving, although they did spend their winters in an apartment in Orlando, Florida. Somehow, Mother convinced me I’d be doing her a favor if I worked as a housekeeper for Grandma, and she also convinced Grandma that Norma needed a summer job. Perfect.  She was a master at this! My grandparents didn’t really want me there (weren’t convinced they needed any help) and I couldn’t have imagined a less inviting or a more lonely place to be (I had spent the summer of 1957 in California at a church mission in Fresno and a year at college with many friends), but my mother appealed to my “missionary” spirit which was still rather strong in those days. I was the 50’s version of the SJW—social justice warrior.

I arrived at the farm about 4:15 on June 1, 1958.  My brother drove me there and helped unload all my clothes. . . .Stay tuned for the next installment of the Summer of 1958 down on the farm.

Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

Me and Mick

“Do you have a job, a car, and a couch? Congratulations! Your hips are probably as tight as Mick Jagger’s pants.”

I used to be very flexible.  Now if I turn the wrong way or bend over to remove laundry from the dryer or tie my shoe, BING, there goes the back.

I can do about 5 of these, (1-3, 5, 8) but not the more drastic ones shown on this website.

How to Stretch Your Hips https://gmb.io/hip-mobility/

1. Lying Hip Rotations
Cross one ankle across the opposite knee and rotate the hip in and out.

2. Piriformis Stretch
Cross one knee over the opposite thigh and pull the knee toward the opposite shoulder.

3. Butterfly Stretch
Sit with your feet together and move your knees toward the floor.

4. Frog Stretch
On all fours, separate your knees as wide as you can and rock back and forth.

5. Kneeling Lunge
Get into a lunge position and keep your chest tall as you move your hips back and forth.

6. Traveling Butterfly
Move from the longsitting position to the butterfly position.

7. Squatting Internal Rotations
From a deep squat, rotate one knee toward the ground, then alternate.

8. Pigeon Stretch
Sit with one knee bent to 90-degrees in front of you, and one knee behind you, rotating your back hip forward and backward.

Also: https://gmb.io/hips/

What are you hearing in sermons and homilies?

Howard Kainz, a Catholic, observes, “I was surprised in the last couple months to hear two homilies – one on the abuse crisis and cover-ups, the other on abortion. My surprise is based on the fact that I have never heard these two topics discussed at any Sunday Mass since Vatican II. And I have attended Masses in quite a few states.”

I’ve noticed the same thing at our church.  In over 40 years at UALC, I’ve heard one sermon on marriage and nothing about abortion, homosexuality, same sex marriage, war, poverty, immigration, and just a smidgen on finances, etc. It is up to small groups or social ministries to address those concerns—without a pastor and usually without Biblical leadership.

Forty years ago I was relieved not to hear about the culture and day to day drama from the pulpit, as we had transferred from First Community Church and that seemed the primary topic of the day, but with no gospel.  The preacher there in the 1970s was a fabulous speaker, impassioned, poetic, with sermons that read like the front page of the Washington Post;  and he was also unfaithful to his wife and children leaving in disgrace. Maybe he just had pent up energy or guilt.

But there are times I feel we conservatives Christians are drowning in a culture of hate, bias, misinformation, and scripture twisting. I understand the pastor has to speak to everyone, but it does seem we just quietly go out to coffee in the narthex to struggle on our own while munching blueberry donut holes.

https://www.thecatholicthing.org/2018/11/12/homilies-on-hot-topics/

Remembering the Obama years

I haven’t forgotten what things looked like in 2008 when Obama was running.  Also haven’t forgotten how the stock market dropped with a thud when he secured the nomination.  I haven’t forgotten that the official recession was over in June 2009 before the first expensive, bloated, unnecessary gift-to-special interests went out the door of the White House.

I haven’t forgotten either that Bush inherited a recession from Clinton, and he cut taxes and things quickly moved on.  I haven’t forgotten what fracking did for the economy and how Obama fought our becoming energy independent, or how so many people who lost their jobs and insurance just buckled down and worked 2-3 jobs, or started their own business.

I haven’t forgotten that Obama took over major sectors of the economy—the classic definition of national socialism—the banks, the auto industry, health insurance, and of course, everyone’s favorite, bathrooms.  The stock market, not necessarily “the economy” started going up, up, up, but not necessarily growth, or labor participation, or consumer confidence, which are the real measures. 

I haven’t forgotten that unemployment went over 10%.  So when Obama, who virtually killed the Democrat Party causing about 1200 losses of offices in state and local governments and pushing it ever further left into the current crazy level, touts how this is HIS economy, anyone who remembers those 8 years just laughs and realizes he’s smoking marijuana again, or maybe never stopped.

An overweight, 72 year old is putting him to shame with his knowledge and energy—and his campaigning.  Obama couldn’t even fill a room and loses his voice, and Trump pulled massive crowds who waited in the rain 2 hours, and then he goes on to two more campaign stops. 

Yes, I haven’t forgotten who turned the Democrat Party into something I, as a 40 year Democrat, can barely recognize. That’s one campaign promise he kept—to fundamentally transform the country.

On elections and adoptions

“I worry that we made a tragic mistake,” Lisa Milbrand wrote of her decision to adopt two daughters from China, adding: “I pulled those two beautiful babies away from a rising power and into a damaged democracy. I brought two girls of color into a society where it’s clear that their word and their bodies are worth less than a man’s—and where open, overt racism has become even more likely now than it was a decade ago. And unfortunately, my worries aren’t exactly tinfoil-hat-wearing paranoia.”

Can’t imagine a woman so callous and uncaring, that she thinks her Chinese children (adopted from China) would be better off in an orphanage in a totalitarian country, than living in the U.S.A.

And all because of President Trump.  The hate just rolls on, and on. Trump is not a racist, but she is.

http://thefederalist.com/2018/11/08/mom-says-regrets-adopting-daughters-china-trump/

The great party

Jordan Peterson is a Canadian professor, but he’s in a lot of trouble for using the wrong pronouns (gasp), and comments a lot on the U.S. This is about the history of Democrats—can’t tell if it’s tongue in cheek. I just don’t think anyone in the party would ever say these things.    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eIpi0rpVf8

He’s written a best seller.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZYQpge1W5s  This is an outstanding video—don’t know the interviewer, but he  wipes the floor with her on “social democrat,” on identity politics, philosophy, on patriarchy, on the Constitution, on the weight of academe, on lobsters, on hierarchies as built into nature, etc.

Same old same old from the leftist New York Times

Smarter Times which apparently exists to point out flaws in NYT, from grammar, to sloppy writing, to amnesia in stories.  http://www.smartertimes.com/1609/vanishing-northeastern-republicans

“Of all the angles for the New York Times to choose for a front-page post-election political story, the "vanishing Northeastern Republican" one they used is pretty lame.

The Times blames President Trump: "A Trump-Fueled 'Wipeout' for House Republicans in the Northeast," is the headline.

But the Times has been writing the obituary of Northeastern Republicans since long before Donald Trump became a political force.

Here, for example, is a Times dispatch from 2006:

It was a species as endemic to New England as craggy seascapes and creamy clam chowder: the moderate Yankee Republican.

Dignified in demeanor, independent in ideology and frequently blue in blood, they were politicians in the mold of Roosevelt and Rockefeller: socially tolerant, environmentally enthusiastic, people who liked government to keep its wallet close to its vest and its hands out of social issues like abortion and, in recent years, same-sex marriage.

But this election dealt the already-fading New England Republican an especially strong blow, one that some fear will increase the divide between the two parties nationally by removing a longstanding bridge between them.

Of 22 members of the newly elected House of Representatives from New England, only one is a Republican: Christopher Shays of Connecticut, who eked out a victory while two other Republicans from his state, Representatives Nancy L. Johnson and Rob Simmons, lost to Democrats.

Not only is it an old story, but it also doesn't particularly fit the results in 2018, which saw Republican governors elected in New Hampshire, Vermont, and Massachusetts, and Republican congressmen Pete King and Lee Zeldin hold on their Long Island congressional seats.”

Matt Whitaker, the Left’s latest cause

Mike Huckabee writes: “President Trump’s appointment of Jeff Sessions’ chief of staff Matt Whitaker as acting attorney general to temporarily replace Jeff Sessions is generating a lot of hysterical screaming from Democrats, who will not accept anything less than a totally unfettered special counsel.  Of course, Democrats in 2018 react with hysterical screaming to everything relating to Trump, so there’s little reason for Trump or his supporters to take them seriously.”

https://www.mikehuckabee.com/index.cfm?p=latest-news&id=1850B584-11B3-44EE-8D18-EB2B0A20D57F&s=6MHR

https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/11/matthew-whittaker-jeff-sessions-replacement-excellent-choice/

Last night we had demonstrations here in Columbus against Matt Whitaker—several hundred people.  My husband was really puzzled.  “Where do they find these kooks?” he asked.  “Social media, and huge databases of protestors on call for any reason for Democrats/Progressives/ Socialists.” I said.  I think they also get paid, at least beer money.

Racist, sexist, homophobic, yada, yada

Everything is racist: starting and ending with the people you disagree with (on any subject at all).  (David Warren commenting on his website being blocked) https://www.thecatholicthing.org/2018/11/09/on-hate-racism/

“To people who hate the truth, the truth looks like hate.” Father Paul Sullins suggesting the strong relationship between a sub-culture of homosexual priests and the abuse of young men.  http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/is-catholic-clergy-sex-abuse-related-to-homosexual-priests

Women and Brain Health

NEW YORK -- Former First Lady Laura Bush launched the Campaign for Women's Brain Health here on Tuesday evening to empower women with the tools they need to become more knowledgeable about the brain, and to better implement brain care for themselves and their families.

The project is a collaboration between UsAgainstAlzheimer's, WomenAgainstAlzheimer's, and Woman's Day magazine. The campaign's goal is to expand the fight against Alzheimer's to include all aspects of brain health, noted George Vrandenburg, of USAgainstAlzheimer's, and Jill Lesser, of WomenAgainstAlzheimer's.

"To achieve this, the partnership is engaging three key groups: families and communities; providers, payers, and health systems; and policymakers," Vrandenburg and Lesser stated.

Rest of the article   https://www.medpagetoday.com/neurology/alzheimersdisease/76199?

Your race card has expired, liberals

"No president in history came to office with more political capital than Barack Obama. He squandered it like a lottery winner within a few months. If liberals had any sense of irony, they would appreciate the inanity of braying about racism right after America elected a black president." Joy Tiz, Sept. 16, 2009

But Obama was so good at it, it's now all out, worse than ever, never slow down, and every candidate, black, white, and brown is using it. Black socialist woman didn't win in Georgia--must be racism; black male with questionable background not elected in Florida--must be racism. Black millionaire Don Lemon feels free to demonize all white men, and liberal commentators now go after white women as victims of patriarchy for not voting for blacks.

Halloween is over, time for Christmas

Quote of the Day

The political bias on college campuses

Perhaps you aren't convinced college campuses are just birthing rooms for young Democrats?

"In total, Florida public college employees donated $587,454.47 from 2017-2018. Of that amount, 94.8 percent were made to Democrat politicians or Democrat organizations" and, "Employees of the University of Texas have given $1.1 million during this election cycle, more than 92% of it to Democrats." and at Yale "96 percent of these donations went to Democratic political campaigns and committees."

Of course, I think these are voluntary contributions--public school teacher unions (membership required in order to teach) give 99% to Democrats.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/america-s-most-partisan-industry-1541542039?

Rejoice you pure in heart

I usually save the printed hymns from the Sunday bulletin, and then noticed we had sung “The Church’s One Foundation” twice in a month, once as an entrance hymn and once as a closing hymn.  However, when I looked at the attribution, they were different, with one attributed to Plumptre and Messiter, and one to Stone and Samuel Wesley.  I was pretty sure that Wesley was the one we sang, so I looked up the other combination, and found “Rejoice you pure in heart” and enjoyed this lovely choir, the Metro Singers of Hyattsville, MD . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_GBKSqtgvI 

Then I looked back through what I’d saved, and indeed we had sung “Rejoice you pure in heart.” Don’t know if the misattribution came from the copied source, or if when inserting the hymn into the template, the attribution from a previous week slipped in. 

House lost in mid-terms

Milo said it best

“Abortion is the business model of Planned Parenthood, and business is booming. Looking at the period of 2000 to 2013, government funding increased from just over $200 million to the aforementioned $500 million, while abortions rose 66 per cent and adoption referrals dropped 25 per cent.

More importantly, Planned Parenthood is gaining market share at a strong clip. In 1986, it accounted for about 6 per cent of the abortions in the United States. That has grown to more than 30 per cent as of 2011. This type of growth makes Planned Parenthood the Apple Corp of the Valley of Death.

Planned Parenthood can attribute a good portion of their boffo baby-killing business to their president since 2006, Cecile Richards. Richards is well on her way to personally matching Hitler’s body count. Breitbart has done the grim maths so you don’t have to.”

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2015/08/22/godwins-law-planned-parenthoods-body-count-is-up-to-half-a-holocaust/

Guest blogger Yusnaiberth explains how socialism really works in the 21st century

I was born and used to live in a very rich country, where anything you planted grew, where any small or big business used to succeed, where people used to leave the country ONLY for two reasons: 1. to study (Post-Grades or Masters) or, 2. for tourism, but they used to come back to keep growing and to keep living happy with everything...with their family and friends to be in an eternal party and comfort.

Since the 50’s, that country used to be the destiny of thousands of immigrants, most of them from Europe. That Country, blessed with beautiful lands, forests, rivers, desert, mountains and beaches; where the Angel Falls is!. . . that country where the most beautiful women used to be . . . that country, that was a paradise WAS my Venezuela, UNTIL Socialism=Communism put its hands on her in 1998. 

That was when Hugo Chavez Frías took the power (a military ex-convict for trying to take the power by force in 1989 and 1992, but then got amnesty from the left party in power).  Everything else I tell you about this story you can find in YouTube or Google.  This man convinced people to vote for him to get rid of the two main parties (AD & Copey) and their corruption, based on Socialism, but at the end it came out to be something worse . . . that “XXI ‘s Century Socialism” was just Pure Communism.

That government became a Dictatorship regime, my country went from a wealthy status to just ruins today.  Chavez destroyed the national production, he closed and/or expropriated any business which disagreed with his ideology: all free, high taxes, exchange control, price control,  etc. Electrical, Communication, Transport and Water companies went from private to public.  Money destined for technology, improvement and maintenance of all those services were stolen . . . disappeared!

He made indefinite re-election, made the presidential period longer . . . anybody in the public administration or system who disagreed or wasn’t registered in his party was fired.

Venezuela was destroyed economically and socially in less than 14 years and once Chavez died, he left as his successor, Nicolas Maduro and this one made things worse, radicalizing the “revolution” and receiving orders and instructions direct from Castro’s Brothers.

Venezuela became a partner with Iran, Russia and China and it is confirmed those countries already have cells and colonies residing there, making Venezuela a huge threat for United States.

Hundreds of thousands of people have died fighting against this regime or due to the insecurity, food and medicine being scarce.

I used to work for +14 years in a big American Company (Procter&Gamble), which during +50 years had its Latin American Division settled in Caracas-Venezuela. We used to be +2000 employees between offices and industrial plants.  Now there are no more than 30 employees, I’m not exaggerating.  Company had to move all its operations due to the insecurity and exchange and price control and the has same happened with all the industries.

Ruins...just ruins is what you can see today...

I came here legally, running away from the regime and insecurity, that was 11 years ago (2007), after I fought against the regime, I protested, voted, signed, ran and almost was killed in a march in 2002.

I finally gave up and realized there was nothing to do anymore if I wanted a future . . . alive. In the last two years I’ve lost 4  members of my family due to lack of medicine or medical attention. People are dying for human rights violation during protests in 2014, then in 2017 . . . Do you know what Obama did or said? NOTHING! He looked to other side!

It’s hard to summarize so many things my country has lived, but what I wanted to say you in one phrase is: “I know the monster and I know what’s inside his guts”...and during 8 years of Obama’s Presidency I could detect so many signals of the same socialism Chavez sold to us. A socialism fed with populism, hate, resent and envy.

I used to give him the benefit of doubt, until in 2013 when I personally participated in a movement to ask Obama for sanctions for the Human Rights violators and Narco-Cartel Military Leaders. Obama ignored us for 7 months, he ignored the +400 students killed or disappeared plus hundreds of political prisoners. HE DID OR SAID ANYTHING! Approved the first sanctions because the pressure of the Republicans Marco Rubio and Diaz Balart and because 2016 election was coming.

Donald Trump, well I didn’t like him that much at first, but I knew that anything against Hillary would be much better...but, something happened, he has not only done everything he promised the USA, he approved not once but 6 rounds of sanctions against Venezuela’s regime corrupt and military cartel members AS HE PROMISED.

Other things made me so convinced about Trump and the RED Wave: the daily cry and attacks of the lefties, everyday posts in Facebook promoting hate and spitting resent and an eternal victimization for the past. . .people who didn’t forgive and move on. . .parents like me supporting things like abortion or early years gender change (I wondered what about if is your own kid?). . .the always “poor illegal immigrant” but God forgive you! if you tell them to open their homes to strangers and pay all their expenses even their visas, medical and school expenses! I’m tired of hearing people who take all for granted and believe a government is responsible for each of their failures and wrong decisions.

And the last drop in the glass...Venezuelans who came here running away of socialism voting for Democrats just to obtain personal benefits.

I’ve been pretty active not only here but in Spain (my husband’s country) where socialism is already destroying that country economy and safety stability. The violent immigrants coming from Africa are being supported and protected by the left-socialist government. I see that  if Democrats win, the same is gonna happen with the violent invasion called “caravan”.

I’m sorry! I tried to summarize too many stuff...I could be writing and writing hundreds of reasons why USA is in danger.  My only purpose is to open the eyes of those who have never been out of USA and don’t really know what socialism is.

I became a Citizen Last May 2018 and I couldn’t be more proud to give my first vote in this country to fight against what I ran away of. I will defend this Country, the country which opened its arms to me, my kids’ country, because they were born here and now my Country, My Sweet Home.

I’m sorry if my English grammar isn’t good, I’m doing my best to speak and write better English every day as part of my obligation of INTEGRATION as immigrant.

Thanks!