A WIFE

Sometimes a wife just has to step in and change things.  My husband was 21 years old and already a great salesman.  He was working downtown as the floor salesman and loved his job.  He enjoyed meeting all the new people who came into the store and loved the learning part of the business.

Every day I prepared his lunch.  Most of the other men went out for lunch to nearby restaurants.  I thought to myself that it was time for him to do that too.  I knew he would resent it if I mentioned it to him, so I just made some really awful lunches.  He hated ground up meat sandwiches so that was what I fixed for a few days.  Didn’t take long until he came in one afternoon and said, ‘I didn’t eat my lunch that you fixed today.  I threw it in the wastebasket instead.  Then I went out to eat with the other guys’. I asked him why and he said he didn’t like those sandwiches I had been fixing in his lunch and he wasn’t going to eat that anymore.  I acted like it sort of upset me, but inside I was grinning all over.

After that, he never even mentioned taking his lunch again. I was glad because I didn’t have to fix it anyway, but I was especially glad that he had taken that upward step to be one of the guys and go out for lunch.  He couldn’t progress in his job if he had to always be in the office to eat his prepared lunch.  Hooray!  A step forward in his young life.

He went on to become a traveling salesman for many years and was a very successful young man.  I was always very proud and still am today.  And I will be forever glad that I fixed those awful lunches!

DEAR GOD: THANK YOU AGAIN

A friend died last week.  He was also a neighbor.  Just an ordinary guy with a wife, 4 sons, and a small business.  He was a great father to those boys.  He was always taking them hunting or fishing or 4-wheeling.  He spent all his spare time with them teaching them all sorts of things that were important to him and to them.  They followed him around like ducklings, some even imitating his walk.  They were a true delight to see.

He was riding his motorcycle to work and didn’t see the car.  There was no way he could avoid the collision, and he was gone in an instant.  Seems like such an unnecessary loss.  But then, God always has His reasons for everything.  I try to remember that every day of my life.  So, although I do not know what His reasons are, I understand this is not all in vain.

For myself, I thank God for letting him cross my path in life.  He was a delight to know and I am sorry he is gone.  I will miss him.  So will a lot of other people.

MAKE UP YOUR MIND

If you are deciding what to do with your life, take a little time to get a little experience before moving on.   My husband was 20 years old and pumping gas in a service station.  He decided he needed a better job so he quit that one and went to work unloading boxcars for a local business.  First thing, he had to join a union and he didn’t care much for that issue.  In the first place, he was not interested in unions, period.  And then, he found he would have to pay union dues whether he liked it or not.  And then, it was hot summer time and he was not an outdoor person.  The heat always bothered him.

He came home after the first day and said he didn’t  know there could be so many crackers in a boxcar.  He kept that job for a few weeks and then decided that pumping gas wasn’t so bad after all, so he quit.  He didn’t really go back to pumping gas but instead went to work for a dairy.  Didn’t take but a couple of days to decide he didn’t care much for that business either. 

He cooked lots and lots of hamburgers, but everywhere he went, he was not satisfied with his life.  He drove trucks and did survey work.  Nothing satisfied him.

And then, someone mentioned that a sales job was open in a local business.  He didn’t know anything about sales but was looking for his niche in life.  He got the job and was put on probation while he learned how to sell.  That didn’t take long and he had found where he belonged in this life.  He loved the salesman’s job and soon became quite successful.  He used his selling abilities in every part of his life thereafter.  He eventually began his own business, selling out of the back of his car and was very successful at that, too.   Later on, he rented an office and kept right on selling.  The day came when he could afford to build his own buildings and buy his trucks and cars and hire other salesmen.  So, you see, he had found where he belonged in this life.  

He could not have found it if he was sitting in a classroom just thinking about what he might do.  He had to get out there and try for himself and then he could make up his own mind.  He kept after it until he found exactly what he wanted to do in this life.  He was a very happy sales person for all the rest of his days.

Give it a try. Get some experience and then decide what to do with your life.  And then you, too, will be very successful as you will be happy in what you are doing every day.  I would hate to go to work every day and not love what I was doing.  Take your time.  Make up your own mind where you belong in this life.

A TIP FOR YOU

Are you just sick and tired of running the dishwasher and then finding that your dishes are still dirty?  Aren’t you just sick to the bitter end of all the so-called helpful innovations that those creeps have fixed for us?  I know I sure am.  I don’t remember God coming to earth and appointing any of them as fixer-uppers.  They must think God made mistakes when He made this world.  I think He did it just right.  So why do we need  them to fix up everything for us.  God knows what goes on here.  He knows all about the phosphates in the dishwashing soap and I don’t remember reading in the local newspaper where He appointed any of those creeps to fix it.  But then you know how they are.  They have been cramming this stuff down our throats for a long time now.  So far, no one has stopped them.

Well, I have a great tip for you today.  If you want clean, spot free, stain free dishes, just put a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in the bottom of your dishwasher when you are ready to run it.  And guess what!  All the dishes get clean.  My cups were all stained almost brown from the tea stains.  And most of the glasses had seen their last shine a long time ago. But I ran the dishwasher with the vinegar in it one time and my dishes were much, much cleaner.  May take longer than one load with some dishwashers and some water supplies.  But at least there is hope here.  And it is cheap, too.  Yay!  About time. Don’t put the vinegar in the little container where the rinse aid is.  Then your dishes will taste like vinegar and that is not the point.  Just pour into bottom of dishwasher so it can work with the tampered with soaps they sell us today. 

I haven’t noticed that the world is much better since they started fixing everything.  They fixed the wolf population and the bear population and the deer population.  Just ask those people who live where those populations have been fixed.  Now there are way too many wolves and bears and deer.  And they are all hungry.  That is why it is so cute to see the bear swimming in the pool of a home and the wolves chasing the sheep all over the place and the deer eating the gardens and grass of some residents.  Oh great.  Wonder what they will fix next. Again, God had all that fixed just fine.  The animal populations were fixing themselves just great.  They didn’t need any outside help.   Just leave this world alone!!

We have had wonderful cars for generations now.  But they are going to fix those just as soon as they figure out what to do.  We aren’t going to have enough gasoline so that means it will cost more. And then we aren’t going to have cars that run very far or very fast.  Then what will our teenagers do in their spare time.  All of mine drove all over town, visiting with their friends and running errands for me.  Oh dear!  Must have been something bad wrong with that.  And then our highways will be empty of automobiles and trucks because those people are going to just have to fix that.  And of course they always know best.

Except that they don’t know anything at all and have messed up everything they have touched.  Maybe they can fix the weather this year.  And the weather patterns are NOT because of global warming.  These are the same weather patterns I have lived with in all the years of my life. Some summers are hotter and drier than others.  Some are not.  Some winters are colder and more miserable than others.  But none of this is because of global warming.  This is because the world turns and hopefully, in spite of all those do-gooders, it will keep right on turning.  At God’s behest and at God’s perfect speed.

Thank You, Dear God!

WHY NOT A VOTECH SCHOOL

I read in the papers every day about how much a college education costs.  It is absolutely ridiculous as far as I am concerned.  I never was an advocate of a college education.  When I was growing up, no one went to a four year college except those wanting to be a doctor, lawyer, engineer or teacher.  And even the teacher did not have to attend college.  She could go right into the school and learn on the job if they needed her.  And I had some really, really good teachers when I was a youngster.  I received a top notch education in that 12 years between first grade and twelfth grade.  And when I graduated, I was immediately hired in a good job and with a good salary.  Whether anyone wants to admit it today or not, this is the ultimate goal – to have a good job with a good salary.

Nowadays, young people waste a lot of years going after that stupid degree that will not get them a job no matter what they do.  A person should look into the job market first and then decide what degree they want to pursue.  For instance, I would not want to spend my life every single day doing something I really hated.  I had a friend who went to college for four years, got a degree in accounting, went to work and that lasted perhaps a month.  She hated it.  Then she returned to school and became a principal of an elementary school.  Why not check into that possibility first before all that valuable time is wasted.  

I raised very successful children and none of them have a college degree.  They didn’t want to waste those precious years going to college.  They wanted to get on with their lives and all did exactly that.  They all had the opportunity but when they got into the college life, they found themselves very bored.  They wanted to get some actual experience.  One of my daughters had been working as a sales person for several years and said her friends were just then coming out of college and having to compete to get a job and then obtain  the experience she already had.

College did not become a popular thing to do until the 1960 crowd took over the parks and recreation areas of this country.  They were lazy and not interested in working on any level.  So they depended on their parents and went to college.  Or else they entered college in order to evade the draft.  So college became a very popular thing to do.  Lots of people followed.  Why not.  It was an easy life, one with no responsibilities, and no real interests in having a better life.  If they whined enough, someone would provide them with something anyway.  So, they drifted and some are still drifting.  Some are on the streets, some in detention facilities, and a few have made the turnaround and managed to get a job and have a decent life.  

But why not just avoid all that to begin with.  Enroll or help your children enroll in a Votech School.  There, all kinds of degrees are available. I have one in my family who is learning to be a technician doing ultra-sound technology.  Good salary, too.  Another neighbor became a nurse recently, after going a very short time to a Votech School.  Why waste four precious years.  Plumbers, electricians, and all related fields can be learned at a Votech.  Cost is a lot less too.

One of my children prefers to hire Votech trained workers as they are more willing to work and have more practical experience and want to learn, learn, learn.  This is the point you know.  An employer wants to hire workers who are interested in learning their job and doing it correctly.  And they want someone who will come in on time and work the full day for a full day’s pay.  

As I said, This is the point.  A good job at a decent salary to have a good life.  Why not look into attending a Votech.  You might be glad you did.

GREEN GREEN GRASS

I was making my usual run around town today trying to get all those errands done and happened to notice how pretty the yards looked.  Most were very green with lots and lots of flowers.  That got me to thinking as usual.

Not too long ago, no one had a pretty yard.  You cut the grass if it needed it.  No one ever trimmed.  Bushes were cut when absolutely necessary.  But most people had to borrow tools to do this.  Flowers were planted, but usually just the same old things such as bulbs that would outlast everything else.  There was not much choice.  Few greenhouses to buy from anyway.  Most of the flowers were either given to you or were already in the yard.  

And the grass was usually almost brown as soon as hot weather set in.  No one and I do mean no one ever watered their grass.  That was mostly unheard of.  You had to be rich to even think of such a thing.  What a waste.  Besides, there were no sprinklers and a lot of people did not even have a water hose. If they did, they would have just used it to wash their car.  Or wash off the porch once or twice a year.   You just had to wait until it rained and if the grass and flowers were not already dead, they might come back out after a good rain.  

No one fertilized their yard either.  That didn’t come along until even much later.  These were just expenses simply not heard of before.  It was not something necessary anyway.  So no one thought much about it.  

Now we all take those things for granted.  We expect to have a nice thick green yard.  And lots of flowers if we want them. And fertilize at least a couple of times a year.  

I still think raking the leaves in the Fall was the most fun thing of all.  It was such fun to rake all day so that all the leaves were in one big pile.  Then all the kids in the neighborhood came over to jump in the pile of leaves.  That in itself was a real luxury.   Those were really fun times.  Then, if you were old enough, you could help burn those leaves. We had so many leaves that they had to be burned in stages over the next few days.  If we were lucky, our mother would let us cook potatoes down in the bottom of the pile of burning leaves.  These were absolutely terrible to eat, but we all smiled a lot and thoroughly enjoyed them.  All the kids wanted a potato.  

Life really wasn’t too bad when we didn’t have as much.  It was pretty nice – sometimes. But I wouldn’t want to go backward to another time.  Think I’ll keep my green grass.  

OUR LADY OF FATIMA PART #8

The story of the three children and Our Lady had been so well publicized that when it came time for the October apparition, a large crowd appeared.  People came from everywhere.  Some drove in automobiles, others in carriages, some on carts, others on donkeys.  Great numbers came walking, some from as far as 10 miles away.  Many believed in the miracle about to happen and they wanted to see it.  Others came to make fun of this miracle they were sure would never happen

Lucia’s family became very upset with all the commotion, afraid something would happen to them or to Lucia.  They had been threatened with bombings, killings and severe penalties.  Many people had tried again to get the children to recant their story but the children refused.  Jacinta and Francisco’s father allowed the people to question them, but stood firm beside them.

It was raining hard on the day of October 12, 1917.  It continued to rain all through the night and into the morning hours of Ocober 13. Some people had walked in the mud to Fatima and now had slept through the rain.  Most were soaked and chilled.  

The crowds came into the family’s homes to see the childen and to ask for favors.  They tracked mud into the homes, soiling everything.  The rain stopped around noon.

As the people waited, their voices rose in constant prayers of the Rosary. These prayers could be heard for miles around.  Reports were that between 70,000 and 100,000 people had come to the Cova.  It was so crowded that someone had to carry Jacinta to the spot before the holmoak.

A few minutes after noon, Lucia called out,’Jacinta, kneel down’ Our Lady is coming.  I’ve seen the flash.’  Everyone became silent as Our Lady appeared to the children.

‘What do you want of me?’ Lucia asked.  ‘I want to tell you that they must build a chapel here in my honor; that I am the Lady of the Rosary; that they continue to say the Rosary every day.  The war will end and the soldiers will return to their homes soon.’

‘I have many favors to ask.  Do you wish to grant them or not?’ asked Lucia.  ‘Some I will!  Others I will not!  They must mend their lives, ask forgiveness for their sins.  Offend not Our Lord any more,’ Our Lady continued.  Her face became very grave.  ‘For he is already much offended.’

Lucia asked ‘Do you want anything else from me?’  Our Lady answered,  ‘I desire nothing else.’  As she rose, she opened her hands with a flood of light.  She then pointed towards the sun and her light caused the sun to be brighter. Then it became as pale as the moon.  To its left, Saint Joseph appeared, holding the Child Jesus in his left arm.  He raised his right hand and together with the Child Jesus, made the Sign of the Cross three times over the world.  As Saint Joseph did this, Our Lady stood to the right of the sun dressed in the blue and white robes of Our Lady of the Rosary.

Jacinta and Francisco were bathed in colors from the sun while Lucia was privileged to see Our Lord dressed in red as the Divine Redeemer.  He blessed the world.  Beside Him was Our Lady dressed in the purple robes of Our Lady of Sorrows, but without the sword.  Thenthe Blessed Virgin appeared to Lucia clothed in the brown robes of Mount Carmel.

All the people could see the sun and gaze on it without hurting their eyes.  The sun had become like a silver disc spinning and trembling in the sky, causing different colors of the rainbow to be reflected on all the people.  The sun began to dance as though rotating on itself.  It stopped and then appeared as a ball of fire moving in a zig zag manner towards the earth. The people were all crying and praying.  Then the sun stopped its descent and took its normal place in the sky.  The miracle had happened and it was seen by thousands of people both at the Cova and in the surrounding villages and towns.  Many came to believe.  Also, after the heavy rains, everyone and everything was now dry.

 

THANK YOU DEAR GOD FOR ALL THESE WONDERFUL INNOVATIONS

I was driving on the highway this morning and  was looking on the sides of the road as I passed.    If you really take the time to look, it is absolutely wonderful what God has allowed to happen in this country of ours. As I have said before, when we need something in this world, God brings along someone who provides it.  Happens all the time.

Just take a look at the trucks rolling down the highway in front of you or beside you. They are absolute marvels.  Some carrying huge loads of pipe, bigger than I am.  Others carrying tractors or other heavy machinery. Some of these trucks are absolutely huge.  Who made up this great plan? Who was it that allowed someone to be able to come up with the idea to build that huge truck and be able to transport that huge piece of machinery from one location to another.  Someone had to do this, you know.  It just didn’t appear one day. Same with the highway you and that truck are driving on.  Had to come from somewhere.

And on the sides of the highway, take a look at the buildings and how well they are built to provide whatever that owner needs.  For instance, one car dealer had a whole front of windows. That could not have been done many years ago.  And those signs on the highway, take a look at what holds them up and those huge pieces of pipe that allow that sign to remain steady no matter the weather.  Someone had to come up with that idea also.

We live in a wonderful country.  I know there are those who think we wake up every day and wait for the sun to shine and then expect them to tell us how to live.  What makes them think they could do a better job than has already been done in a lot of instances.  I am so proud of everything I see.  This is a great country and we have so many innovations here.  We are such a fortunate society.  Almost anything we could desire is available if we just get out and work for it.

Even the everyday car  is absolutely marvelous.  Who would have thought a few years ago that automatic windows, doors, locks, air conditioning and heat would be available at the flick of a switch.  And  now people talk on their phone installed in the car and all they have to do is push a button.  And then just push another button and the garage door opens and closes for you.

In another 10 years, we cannot even begin to imagine what a wonderful place this will be.  I haven’t even mentioned anything like those wonderful phones and computers and calculators, and all those other marvelous inventions.  Someone had to form the idea and then assemble each one of them for the first time.  And someone had to give them the idea in their head first.  God helps all that along.  He is the One in charge of our lives.  He is the One who provides everything for all of us.

Next time you have the privilege of seeing an earth mover digging somewhere, take a moment to think about it.   Someone had to have the idea for the machine. Another person had to put it together and another has to drive it.  Then before they do any earth moving at all, someone has to assemble all the facts and figure exactly where and how that earth is to be moved.  This in itself is more than my brain can handle.   This one job has to be done perfectly.  If not, then that building will not be on a lot correctly which would cause all sorts of problems.  Or that highway cannot be built correctly which would cause even more problems.  Or that sewer ditch will not be where it should be and we can only imagine what problems that would cause.  And then we could go on and on about all the things that depend upon this one job being done right.

So think about all this next time you go outside and that doesn’t even include anything inside your home or business or automobile.  Think how smart this bunch of people who live in this country are. Each and every one contributes or should contribute to this wonderful way of life.  I cannot even imagine anyone thinking they can tell all others how to do anything.  We all have our place in this life.  Take your proper place and you will find happiness and success in your daily life.

God will provide the drive and the interest and the proper place for you in this world.  Take advantage of His Goodness.

 

HAVE A NICE DAY!

I hear the phrase, Have a Nice Day at least once or twice each day.  Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we all really did Have a Nice Day.  I’m talking about if we all were really, really, really nice for a whole day.  Just think what that would do to this worn out old world.  I’m sure if you are like me, you are just simply sick and tired of all the stuff on the television and all the stuff in the newspapers and all that other stuff about how awful this whole world is.

People are killing each other wholesale across on the other side of the world.  Even in this area of the country, there are numerous killings every day.  And they are reported on the television constantly.   And right after that one is the story about the pornographic problems with grown people abusing children.  That is also on the television and in the newspapers constantly.  What is the matter with people.  Something most certainly is.  I mean, this is not really normal behavior.  Period.  And everyone knows this.  

So, to get back to the nice day, wouldn’t it be nice if we as individuals tried just for one whole day to be nice. All day.  To everyone we meet.  No matter who or where.  If you think this is a good idea, make a point of smiling at the people you pass in the grocery store and in the post office and even in the local WalMart.  And besides that, hold the door for the person behind you as they come in or out.  And then, speak nicely to the clerk.  You don’t have to carry on a big conversation, just simply smile and act NICE.  

And then in your own home, try really hard to be extra nice for one whole day.  When the kids drive you crazy, smile or laugh at their jokes, or you might even have to sing to overcome the noise.  But do it!  When you drive, make a point of letting that car turn in front of you or allowing someone to pass you when they need to.  Just pay attention and let those little niceties cover you up for just one whole day.  

If there is someone at work that drives you nuts, try to be extra nice on that one day.  When you pay the parking attendant, smile and say thanks.  It doesn’t take a whole lot just to be nice for a whole day.  

Just make a point of being extra nice to everyone for one whole day.  Then you can really smile and say HAVE A NICE DAY! because you mean it.  

Might even do that again some day.  It might be sort of fun.  

DEAR GOD: THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING AGAIN

We all live this really good life these days.  I don’t mean we are all rich or have everything, but if we try, we do have a comfortable life.  Before God allowed electricity to be invented, people lived an entirely different life than we do nowadays.  How would you like to go back to that time.  Not me.  I am spoiled and like it that way.

So when we were given the benefits of electricity, what would we ever use that for except for a light bulb now and then.  But then just look around.  Not only did people get a light bulb, but then other people invented all those ways to use those light bulbs.   Look in your own room or your own house and notice the lamps and the light fixtures and all those other necessary things of today.

And then think about the woman washing on a washboard and how after electricity, she could have a washing machine and after that, an automatic washing machine.  How fortunate for all of us.

And then, take a walk around your kitchen and look at all those marvelous machines that do everything in the world for you.  From the coffee pot to the garbage disposal and even the toaster.  Do you remember when all toast was made in the oven?    And it had to be planned so we wouldn’t heat the house up in the summer and we only had oven toasted bread in the winter.  That was a treat in itself.  Now, we just pop that bread  or whatever it might be in that slot in the toaster and it is done in a matter of moments.

But then in today’s world, we have these people running around telling us that we don’t need to use the electricity anymore.    I need to use my electricity. And I don’t see any reason why they should think they are in charge of how much electricity anyone gets to use. God gave us this great gift because it was in His time to give it to the world.  Simple as that.  God is in charge of everything, including even the most basic things.  He is the one who decides when we are given the computers and the internet and the automobile and all other amenities that we sometimes take for granted.  He is the one who uses the individual for His plans.  He knows what He is doing.  He will be the One who runs everything.  Not some person who decides they know what is best for this world.

It is God’s world.  I hope people will wake up and let God run His world.  All we have to do is live by His rules and this world can be a great place, one of peace and tranquility, and happiness for all.

You know,  I remember a time before all these problems arose during the 1960’s and that generation decided they knew what we should all do and how immorality should rein.  Remember the words – Forty years I loathed that generation and I swore in My anger, they shall  not enter into my rest.

Enjoy your electricity.   We are all so fortunate.  Thank You, Dear God for everything You have given to us.