One of the strangest towns you'll ever see

 Burj Al Babas: Tour The Ghost Town Of Abandoned Fairytale Castles – Animal Everyday

The cost of food--still grateful

 Sometimes I need to remind myself that we in the U.S. still have plentiful, and inexpensive food, despite what Joe Biden is trying to do to the economy in the name of climate change.  I just spent $25.05 at Aldi's.  I buy a lot of fresh things there (and a few bakery items), and it's only a mile from my home. Ohio doesn't tax food, and recently removed tax on disposable diapers. 

Dozen mini muffins blueberry         3.45

10 gourmet choc chunk cookies      2.19

Cantaloupe chunks 16 oz                 3.29

Pineapple spears 16 oz                     3.49

Butternut squash 2.03 lb                   1.81

Sweet onions 2 lb.                            1.89

Yellow potatoes, small                      3.49

Bananas,  1.55 lb   .41/lb                    .64 

1/2 gal. whole milk                            1.61

Orange juice  1.6 qt                          3.19

According to move.org (a moving company) "The average cost of groceries in America in 2023 is $415.53 a month per person1. [Ohio is $392.59 per person a month.] However, this number can vary greatly depending on factors like age and personal eating habits. Location is another important—though potentially surprising—factor in determining food costs. Groceries cost more in some US cities and states than others." How Much Does Food Cost in the US? | Move.org

Nerd Wallet says:  "Have food prices been rising? Absolutely. Thanks to a combination of inflation, pandemic-related supply-chain disruptions and tariffs on certain foreign imports, food prices have steadily risen since 2020.

But inflation has been slowing in the past year and the latest data shows the cost of groceries aren’t rising as fast as they once were.

Food prices rose 3.7% between September 2022 and September 2023, according to the most recent consumer price index (CPI) report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. By comparison, at the same time in 2022 prices rose 11.2% over a one-year period." The Cost of Groceries: Are Food Prices Going Up? - NerdWallet

The Fires of Tribalism

"The most extraordinary thing about my personal story is how ordinary it is. Bay Ridge, the charming neighborhood in the southwest corner of Brooklyn where some of the worst pro-Hamas riots erupted last week, is itself a tapestry of so many similar stories of young men and women coming to America in search of its goodness and greatness. The neighborhood was once home to America’s largest Norwegian community; then came the Italians and the Irish and the Greeks, followed by the Puerto Ricans and the Mexicans, the Jordanians and the Egyptians and the Syrians. Different people, different ethnicities, different faiths, yet a shared sense of place and, more importantly, of destiny. Whatever else these immigrants believed, whatever else they carried with them from their homelands, they all had this in common: America was their home, and you don’t set your home on fire.

What changed?

To answer this question, consider the two things press reports tell us for certain about the rioters: Most are young, and most are of Middle Eastern descent."  American Banlieue | City Journal (city-journal.org)

What changed?  The Democratic Party has changed. You can't deny it. It has shown us the past few years that rioting, looting, burning and killing is OK in Democrat run cities, defunding the police is OK, but only if the rioters have their blessing. Crooked prosecutors are OK. Out of control judges filled with hate, and ignorant of the Constitution, are OK. If a crowd gathers to protest an election, even if Democrats have protested elections for several decades, then those Americans, wearing a MAGA hat or even standing around looking, are "dangerous to Democracy."

The ghost in the kitchen

I went to bed last night concerned about a strange buzzing noise in our friends' home. I was imagining all sorts of disasters and thought they should call the fire department.  The mystery has been solved.

"The ghost was a stud finder buried in a pail of tools standing on a stool next to the kitchen counter."

Dave as he tells it had been installing undercabinet lights in the kitchen this past week, tackling the devil in the details of a laggard kitchen remodeling project. The stud finder had never before made a sound by itself. You have to press and hold the on-button to make it work. So, most of its life is spent lying inert somewhere, like in this pail.

But that afternoon Dave had been repairing a torn underground sprinkler system line. Last Spring they had the stump ground out for one of the aged, deteriorating silver maples that had been overhanging the house and that had been removed last winter. Dave forgot that a sprinkler head was in the vicinity and the stump grinder ground up the tubing. It was not until yesterday that he got around to finishing that repair. He went into the house to scrounge up a steel tape measure and stirred around in the bucket of tools in the kitchen, where he had left the tape measure. One of the jostled tools must have fallen against the on-button of the stud finder and it must have thought there was a stud in the vicinity, so it began doing its thing—squealing with a high-pitched squeal. They turned off every bit of electricity to the house but could still hear the buzzing. When they were searching, he tried to think of any battery-operated devices. He looked at smoke alarms and the radio/cd- players, but never thought of the stud finder. And his wife Donna found it! Now they don't have to call any fire departments or electric companies. They slept securely with no anxieties about ghosts in the kitchen. (as told by Dave)

Now if we could fix the thumping in our pipes caused by a new hose for watering the flowers.

Vitamin K2--never heard of it

Dosage: ideally 180 to 360 micrograms per day. An egg yolk can contain between 67 and 192 micrograms of vitamin K2.

In older persons with low vitamin K status, an age-related decline can be observed. Numerous advantages of vitamin K2 include improved skin quality, strengthening of bones, improved mitochondrial function, and better vascular health. Vitamin K2 dose ranging from 180 to 360 mcg per day is standard, while some people with certain conditions like osteoporosis may need even higher.

Vitamin K2: Everything You Need to Know (healthline.com)

https://healthnews.com/longevity/longevity-supplements/dr-sinclairs-longevity-supplement-and-drug-stack/

Growing Evidence of a Proven Mechanism Shows Vitamin K2 Can Impact Health Conditions Beyond Bone and Cardiovascular - PMC (nih.gov)

Vitamin K2: What It Is and Its Benefits – Cleveland Clinic

8 Foods High in Vitamin K2 and Why You Need It (webmd.com)

Socialism and anti-Semitism

 It's not like we weren't told of the connection between socialism and hatred of Jews. This is from 1953.

The Anti-Semitic Tradition in Modern Socialism, by Edmund Silberner. Inaugural lecture delivered at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, 1953.

Examines anti-Semitism in socialist theory and political movements in England, France, Germany, and other nations. Most socialist theorists identified capitalism with Jews. Discusses, among others, Charles Fourier, Ferdinand Lassalle, Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, and Jean Jaurès.

The 43 Best Books on Socialism - Foundation for Economic Education (fee.org)

Look how much Obama and Biden spent on arming Hamas

 https://openthebooks.substack.com/p/biden-pays-rockets-fly-administration?

Our auditors at OpenTheBooks.com found that the Biden Administration spent more than $1 billion from U.S. taxpayers on “aid” to Palestinians. It proposes sending another $260 million in its FY2024 budget request, but that funding is not yet approved by Congress.

Here’s how the Biden Administration allotted U.S. taxpayer Palestinian-aid through the United Nations: $318.4 million (2021), $363.9 million (2022), and $371 million (2023).

Biden’s spending binge is a sharp reversal from President Donald Trump’s August 2018 freeze. Biden started pouring taxpayer dollars into Gaza and the West Bank in April 2021.

A letter from City Journal about the Middle East situation (via e-mail)

 Dear Friends and Supporters [of City Journal],

As horrific events continue to unfold in the Middle East, the initial shock of the terrorist attacks has given way to a series of troubling questions. Why have Western institutions responded to the assault by blaming the victims? Could similar dangers emerge in the United States and, if so, what measures should we take to prevent them? How will Israel wage the war for its own survival?

City Journal has been busy seeking answers, providing reporting, analysis, and commentary on the crisis. Be sure not to miss our coverage of:

Universities and woke institutions sympathizing with Hamas

• Eitan Fischberger on the history and terrorist connections behind Students for Justice in Palestine;
• Tal Fortgang and Jonathan Deluty on how SJP is more pro-Hamas than the terror organization itself;
• Abigail Shrier asks how universities can so brazenly abandon their Jewish students;
• Paul du Quenoy eviscerates Harvard’s reaction to the Hamas attacks;
• Max Eden exposes university leaders’ morally perverse responses.

Western moral confusion and a civilizational crisis of confidence

• Hannah E. Meyers on the parallels between BLM activists and Hamas apologists;
• Christopher F. Rufo on the radical Left’s endorsement of civilizational suicide;
• Guy Sorman on religion’s underappreciated influence over today’s geopolitical conflicts;
• Juliana Geran Pilon and Eitan Fischberger on the disturbing moral equivalence between Israel and Hamas espoused by America’s mainstream media;
• Theodore Dalrymple explains the delight Hamas and its supporters take in genocide;
• Nicole Gelinas on the Democratic Socialists of America’s depraved demonstration against Israel.

How to think about the security of Israel, America, and Jews around the world after the attacks

• Mark P. Mills on how advanced defense technologies often provide a false sense of safety;
• Liel Leibovitz explains how constitutionally dubious restrictions on gun ownership facilitate violence against Jews;
• Martin Gurri explores whether domestic infighting will prevent Israel—and the U.S.—from forcefully resisting Hamas (and Tehran);
• Judith Miller analyzes the next steps for Hezbollah and Iran and the intelligence failures that led to “Israel’s 9/11”;
• Ari David on how the attacks have shattered Jews’ sense of safety worldwide;
• Shlomo Brody explains how global naïveté and Hamas’s exploitation of civilians put Israel in a no-win situation regarding its own defense;
• Ellen R. Wald on the threat the conflict poses to global energy markets;
• Seth Frantzman analyzes the tactical challenges of waging urban warfare in Gaza;
• Andrew A. Michta explains how the attacks should prompt a reassessment of U.S. national-security priorities.

City Journal will continue to investigate what the conflict means for our culture and institutions, our cities and security, and our democracy and civilization.

The problem is Iran

"The Hamas attack against Israel is not only a massive Israeli intelligence and military (as well as a U.S. intelligence) failure, but also a dramatic success for Iran’s axis of resistance from Yemen to Gaza. The highly choreographed, multipronged, day-long operation and incursion into Israel itself, involving the use of motorized paragliders and drones and the taking of hostages, required months of planning and training that only Iran and Hezbollah could have provided. Late yesterday, a Hamas spokesperson told the BBC that Iranian support for the assault was a point of pride." (Atlantic, Oct. 8, 2023)

We can put this at the feet of Biden and Obama. They weakened our military and gave Iran money.

Today, October 19, Iran is encircling Israel, as I write.

Walking outside with Zuby

I was just looking for a couple of guys to take on my walk when I came across this podcast (Zuby, love the guy) and a guy talking about foot pain. Boy, did I learn a lot.

https://youtu.be/S_SOdzLjEjo?si=YxWg_6jCDNZT_Rt-

https://wydefootwear.com/ I don't own a lot of shoes, but I do change 2 or 3 times a day to be comfortable. I'm willing to try a pair.  He's an entrepreneur.  A start up during Covid.

"Wyde Footwear was founded with one main mission: To restore our innate human foot function in as many people as possible. Known for being designed after real feet while having zero compromise on design and functionality; Wyde serves customers around the world who are relentless in their search for a healthier body and life."

Keith's recipe for scallops and shrimp in white wine sauce

Sauté the shrimp in a hot pan with olive oil. Once they’re almost cooked take them out and sauté some garlic and shallots with 2 cups of [good] white wine. Add a quarter stick of butter. Cook over medium heat. Add shrimp and scallops. Add a little lemon juice and some lemon zest. Add a few chili flakes. Serve over your favorite pasta with a vegetable like asparagus and a nice presentation.

Purchased some dinner plates--couldn't resist

I bought four Lenox dinner plates at Volunteers of America this morning for $20. White on white, with platinum trim, new. Sticker with bar code still on plates, but one has small chip on underside. Debut Collection, Hannah Platinum, Millenium Edition. Made in USA.

I like to set a pretty table.

"Featuring an elegant and understated floral motif with a raised white palmetto pattern, each dinner will become a memorable and enjoyable moment with Hannah Platinum. This timeless design features a platinum trim on durable white bone china, and is dishwasher safe, making it ideal for any occasion."

Difficult to find a price on internet but it seems to be about $24-$25 per dinner plate new, and $20 at replacement. One offer was 4 for $50, used. Manufactured in 1997.

How to save $56,000 a year--don't move!

 Recently we've been discussing costs of retirement communities with various friends who have made the move, or are anticipating one.  The costs have ranged from $12,225/month to $6,500/month. All those figures are for less space than we have now, with no garage and little storage.  Huge difference--we have a lot of stuff and freedom to come and go.  And there's no guarantee those prices won't go up. All the facilities are nice, but some are downright luxurious! 

Most offer the traditional amenities within these ranges. (The Cost of Living in a Retirement Community (investopedia.com)

"Retirement communities, also called “senior living communities” or “independent living communities,” are designed for people in their mid-50s and beyond who are desirous and capable of living independently and don’t require specialized medical care. These communities can offer different types of housing, including single-family homes, duplexes, condos, and apartments.

In terms of amenities, retirement communities can provide things such as:
On-site gyms and fitness centers
Cleaning and laundry services
Transportation services
swimming pool in house or access
Community recreational events
On-site dining [one meal a day is included in some of the prices]

Assisted living facilities and nursing homes, on the other hand, are for seniors who need some level of help managing daily life. That can range from assistance with basic chores, such as laundry or cleaning, to round-the-clock medical care.

A third type of community, called continuing care, offers a full range of services from independent living through assisted living, memory care and nursing home care. This allows residents to age in place regardless of their health needs going forward and can also accommodate couples in which one partner needs a higher level of care than the other."

So, I did some number crunching to determine how much it costs to live in our 2,600 sq. ft. condo

Condo fee and insurance, lawn care, snow removal  $422/mo

AEP electricity $300

Water $40

Spectrum--wifi, cable, phone--$250

Real estate taxes $675

Cleaning $140

Estimated monthly cost $1,829

Opportunity cost--What the market value of our condo would earn if invested--unknown--perhaps $2,000/month--I'm not factoring this in, although my father would.

So even taking the bottom figure of $6,500/month or $78,000/year, we save about $56,000 a year by staying here as long as we can.  That means, staying healthy.                                           

How to witness with the little things--advice I gave 7 years ago

St. John Paul II: “No believer in Christ, no institution of the Church can avoid this supreme duty: to proclaim Christ to all peoples.” Little things mean a lot. Say grace when you're eating in a restaurant, the same as you would at home. Be visible in your thankfulness for everyday gifts. Wear a cross and be prepared to tell others your testimony if asked--just be sure it's about Jesus and not just you. Some people place a bumper sticker for their church, para-church organization or Christian media. It's especially good if there's a bit of rust or a dent you'd like to cover. I found our local station (820 a.m. in Upper Arlington, OH) because of a bumper sticker. How refreshing to find inspired and interesting talk radio by women. Be prepared to give a pleasant greeting--God bless you. Have a blessed day. James Isenhart always greets me (on FB) with something short and inspirational. He's doing something small, yet huge, for Jesus reaching people who maybe haven't had a kind word all day. Adrienne Ross (on FB) is another--although she has many topics, she never fails to glorify God after a wonderful service at her church. When we're not commiserating about politics, I love the resources Joan Shaw Turrentine (blog friend) directs me to. My cousin Gayle never fails to find just the right Bible verse to encourage me in e-mail. And when you ask for prayers, I always stop right away and do that. You benefit us all by asking--don't be shy.

Uwe and Hannelore Romeike family vs. Biden

The Biden administration is deporting a Christian family from Germany who legitimately fears persecution and should qualify for asylum, while allowing 99 percent of illegal immigrants to stay in the U.S., most of whom likely do not qualify for asylum.

Uwe and Hannelore Romeike reportedly fled Germany in 2008 because they were threatened with prosecution and $9,000 fines for homeschooling their five children. The couple and their family have lived in Tennessee and filed for asylum. The family has thrived in the U.S., including having two children who are American citizens and two other children who married American citizens. Unfortunately, the U.S. authorities denied their asylum claim in 2013. After the Obama administration intervened, the family had been able to stay in the U.S. under an “indefinite deferred action status.”

Biden Admin Deports A Christian Family, But Not Illegal Immigrants (thefederalist.com)

New Data Reveal Biden Administration’s Failure to Remove Over 99% of Released Illegal Aliens, Fueling Border Crisis Concerns | House Judiciary Committee Republicans

Debbie Stradley, October 3, 2023

We met Debbie just four years ago.  Her mother lives across the street and had told her about our son Phil's diagnosis of glioblastoma in October 2019.  Debbie came over immediately and wrapped me in her comforting arms--we'd never met.  I found out then that she had metastatic breast cancer.  She's fought bravely for many years, and I'll never forget her kindness to a stranger.  I knew her husband from the veterinary college at Ohio State.

Debbie Stradley Obituary - Columbus, OH (dignitymemorial.com)

Debbie Stradley passed from this life on Tuesday, October 3, 2023. Debbie was born in Bethesda, Maryland on May 23, 1959 to the late George and Patricia (Barratt) Dent. Debbie grew up in Cleveland Heights, Ohio and later attended The Ohio State University studying industrial design. Later in life she returned to college and received a B.A. from Cedarville University with a major in Bible/biblical studies. In addition to being a chaplain for several years with Mt. Carmel Health System, Deb continued her role of a care giver in church leadership and beyond, always putting the interests of others above her own. Her zeal for life and her authentic gift of compassion touched many lives. Among her many passions were love of nature, gardening, photography, design and scuba diving. She loved her many dogs and cats. Debbie will be deeply missed by her husband of 35 years Daniel Stradley; her brother Kit (Lisa) Dent; her nephew and niece George and Grace Dent; her stepmother Carole Dent; and many others. Memorial service will be held at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, October 16, 2023 at SCHOEDINGER NORTHWEST, 1740 Zollinger Rd, Columbus, Ohio 43221, immediately following the service a Celebration of Life Reception will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 at SCHOEDINGER NW. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Madison County Vineyard, 106 Olive St, London, Ohio 43140. Please visit www.schoedinger.com to share memories and condolences.

The moral equivalency

"I saw a short video of Jeremy Bowen of the BBC interviewing an officer at Kfar Aza, one of the border towns which was overrun by Hamas terrorists. Mr Bowen was initially concerned about the victims but was quick to query the wisdom of an incursion into Gaza given the risk of civilian casualties. It is as if Israel is the loser in some cruel game, where the opponent – Hamas – can come in, murder, rape and kidnap civilians, but Israel is not allowed to take any responsive action because of the risk to civilians in Gaza." (Robert Festenstein, blog, Times of Israel)

Painful thoughts on the attacks on the Jewish state

October 13, 2023

I was aware of the physical frailties of old age—my parents lived to 88 and 89, my four grandparents late 80s and early 90s, and my great grandparents late 80s. I knew them all. I also knew my husband’s parents, grandmother and his step-grandparents all living to mid-80s and early 90s. Today is my brother-in-law’s 100th birthday. What I didn’t expect was this feeling of helplessness.

I didn’t expect to feel the promises of God’s mercy and caring to ring so hollow. After all, most of these dear ones of my past had lived through the Panic of 1893, the Spanish American War, WWI, The Spanish flu epidemic, the Great Depression, the scourge of polio, WWII, Korea and Vietnam. I even called my Dad on 9/11 for some comfort. Maybe they felt as helpless as I do now, and never mentioned it?

Today I was reading Psalm 25 in my morning devotions. I thought about those beautiful words such as TRUST, TRUTH, SALVATION, MERCY, LOVE, GOODNESS, UPRIGHTNESS, FAITHFULNESS, PARDON, FRIENDSHIP, COVENANT and FORGIVENESS. I couldn’t help but think back to Saturday’s assault on civilians in Israel. Where was God? Where were our elected politicians, our counterintelligence, our high-tech smarties who can shut down any opinion about Covid or pronouns they don’t like, but couldn’t find “chatter” of killers of Jews? It was Nazis in the ghettos of the 1940s.

What happened to the “rules of war” and the lessons of WWII we heard about in high school and college?

Also, I can't help but think of the silence of our churches—not just about the Israeli/ HAMAS/ Hezbollah/ Iran situation, but my own church's failure to speak out or call a prayer meeting on ANY issue—social, economic or political—from Covid to abortion to local bond issues, to the border crisis to transgenderism. I suppose it's understandable with 35,000 “protestant” and “Bible only” groups many of whom have split on secular issues, including slavery and feminism. It is still an eerie silence for anyone who reads the paper or watches the evening news. It’s possible in the 1930s we didn’t know about the Soviets starving the Kulaks or the Nazis invading Poland and killing Jews until it was too late. Today we have HAMAS uploading their crimes in real time on the internet for all to see. Today we know the U.S. returned $6 billion to Iran who has sworn death to Israel. We've bought their oil for untold billions. We funded this!

There’s an ugly dividing waste land that runs through our wealthy, educated metropolitan congregations. The same Christians who support abortion and “a woman’s right to choose,” sanctuary cities, open borders, climate change laws that hurt the poorest economies, demonization of half of America’s voters and the sexual mutilation of children in the LGBTQ spectrum, also have been willing to excuse over the years Palestinians and deny that the Islamic hatred and beliefs about Israel’s existence is a real threat to Jews and the U.S. It’s the elephant in the sanctuary. Right here in Columbus (specifically 2021, 2014 and this week) there were large demonstrations in support of Palestine and against Israel. Was anything said—prayer—discussion? Is there a direct line from our silence to beheading babies and shooting the elderly at bus stops?

If our churches can’t even object to the Governor or Board of Health about violations of our religious rights in 2020 and 2021 during the lockdowns, how can I even suggest we have the moral authority and strength to say anything about the Russia Ukraine war, or the tribal warfare in South Sudan among Christians, or the Ethiopian crisis, or the invasion by millions at our Southern border, or HAMAS attacking civilians?

Well, I do suggest it. Can I sit through one more Bible study or sermon or hymn and not be sickened by our silence, and my own feeling of weakness while we dither about hiring women pastors (an issue from the 1970s) or how many millions we can raise to keep our buildings up to date?

Mike Huckabee on moral equivalency

 "I caught Brit Hume on Fox News yesterday, making the observation that watching the revolting cheering of the anti-Semitic carnage in Israel has been clarifying, like turning over a rock and discovering all kinds of disgusting moral equivalencies. He said we’re learning that some people we thought just had slightly unusual or “exotic” views actually have quite astonishing views.

That’s a good point, except the insane and violent extremism of the modern left wasn’t a shock to some of us, who’ve been warning about it for years.

For people who haven’t been raised right, who have been failed by the education system and don’t know what morality is, here’s a clue: There is no “moral equivalency” between terrorists who murder, torture and rape innocent people and their victims."

Billions to Iran

Biden/Obama tried to destroy our fossil fuel industry while paying Iran billions for oil--which in turn funds the alliance of Gaza, Tehran and Moscow. He tries to hide his duplicity by attacking half the American voters for supporting Trump, so you won't notice what's going on. And meanwhile, at the gas pump in the days to come and Iran uses its leverage, keep that in mind. Trump made us energy independent.