I’m up! I’m up! My darned alarm clock worked diligently to wake me – I think it must have gone off 6 times – poor hubby – before I finally managed to drag myself out of my dream state and into enough of an awake state that I was aware of slapping the top of the clock, rather than doing it as an automatic response. I’ve considered putting the clock across the room, but most of the time Moose is sleeping, stretched out full-length along the side of the bed and if I tried to leap out of bed to go turnoff the clock I’d end up tripping face first into the wall or the treadmill. Neither one sounds like a good way to start the day. I’m drinking coffee by the gulp instead of the sip, trying to get my brain cells to jump start. So far, I’m upright, so I suppose that is progress.
Verse of the Day
March 22, 2018
Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
Thoughts on the Verse of the Day
Many of the struggles in our lives are not mere accidents! Many of them are not put there by God. Our challenges often come from the hand of our enemy, Satan. He always prowls about looking for the best scheme to knock us out of our commitment to and relationship with the Lord. Placing ourselves firmly in the hands of the Lord and using his tools of warfare will help us defeat our enemy who has already been humiliated by Jesus and the cross.
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Food for Thought
By now I’m sure anyone with any awareness of the world around them has heard of the bombings that took place in Austin, TX and that the bomber – alleged or not – killed himself by detonating one of his bombs. OK, good. Another bad guy is stopped from doing more bad things. What gets me about all of this is the media response to it. When a Muslim does something bad in the name of what he believes in, we aren’t supposed to blame the religion – or so the media says – because of tolerance or something equally stupid. When someone does something bad and their skin happens to be dark, we aren’t supposed to say anything about the color of their skin because it’s racist. Whatever. In this case the media is trumpeting to the world that the bomber was white, and he was Christian and had conservative views. What the hell does that even have to do with anything? I’ll tell you. It fits their narrative. You see, Islam is the religion of violence and jihad. Their very belief system says that they MUST, if they are devout, kill anyone who doesn’t believe the way they do if they refuse to convert, and by all means, they must do away with the evil American empire. Christianity isn’t a violent religion. Yes, violence has been done in the name of Christianity, but by definition our belief system is based on love, acceptance, kindness and sacrifice for others. There are always going to be bad apples in every religion and every ethnicity, and on the opposite end of that, most of the people are going to be good, law abiding, non-murderous individuals who treat each other kindly and with respect. I am so sick and tired of being told by the media, Hollyweird, and the liberal mindset at large that I am bad because of my ethnicity. I can’t help, nor would I change, who I am because seriously, it’s how I was born. Duh. I wouldn’t change my belief system or my political leanings because I like what I believe and actually BELIEVE it, not just say it because other people do. The basic truth is that bad people do bad things. It doesn’t matter their skin color or the basic premise of what they believe. Some people are inclined to do those things and it doesn’t matter what laws are in place, or how it fits the liberal narrative, at the end of the day if they are a bad person, they will ultimately do bad things.
As Young as You Feel Day – We’ve all heard someone say that you’re as young as you feel, and honestly, that’s so true! If you slog through life, allowing things to get you down, focusing on a number and how BIG it is, rather than getting out and doing things and having fun (which by default makes you feel young and vibrant), then you’re going to feel and eventually LOOK older than you are! If you get out, get fresh air and exercise, laugh and smile a lot, learn new things and just generally enjoy life – you will FEEL younger, and no matter what your chronological age, it’ll likely be years younger than you really are. I know a lot of us have Wii game consoles, and the Wii Fit Games are pretty fun, but one thing this game does – for those of you who may not have the system – is it has you step on the scale and it takes your weight and some simple tests it has you do for balance, speed, mental clarity, etc. and it establishes your Wii Fit Age. Nothing makes me giggle more first thing in the morning than that silly game telling me that my Wii Fit Age is YOUNGER than my oldest child! YES! Now THAT’S the way to feel as young as I’d like to be. Of course, the last few days I’m feeling years older than I am, and that’s a really unsettled feeling. I need to shake this off and get back to having some fun!
International Day of the Seal – This one isn’t very well known, but I do feel it is important to bring attention to it. This date is set aside to bring awareness to an incredibly brutal spectacle that anyone could ever imagine, much less witness. Canada’s Harp Seals babies are bludgeoned senseless then skinned for their hides . . . not all of them are dead before this is done. The very thought fills me with absolute horror. Even though there has been international protest against this, it continues, subsidized by the Canadian government, which insists on attempting to create a market for a product that isn’t necessary. If this were necessary to the native people for subsistence as they were in the past, it would at least be understandable, but if the industry as a whole must spend time and effort attempting to create a demand for the skins and oils of these baby seals, well, there’s obviously something drastically wrong with it all at that point. In 1987 the Canadian government banned the harvest of “whitecoats”, or fluffy white babies that we often see in pictures, but this doesn’t last long. As soon as that coat is lost, the baby seals, which are known as “ragged-jackets” after the white fluff starts to go away, are fair game. They often make the argument that the seals are plentiful and need to be harvested to keep population levels sustainable, but in my mind, this still does not justify harvesting the babies. Controlling the population would be more logical if the older animals are taken. Since the seals’ habitat can change – as it can for all species – with some years having abundant food, and others not as much, the animal population can only remain viable in uncertain habitats by keeping the population levels up. With multiple years of little food the numbers could drop quite dramatically and the excess young that are born in good food years are the only way the species can survive. It is the inability of people to look downrange and learn from our past mistakes that results in many different species becoming extinct. I could go into much more detail about over fishing, and everyone placing blame everywhere else, but the bottom line is that there is absolutely no excuse for wiping out a species for fur that nobody wants – seriously, when was the last time you heard of a demand for seal fur? Other furs, maybe, but seal? And we can get quality omega oils from other sources. This isn’t necessary and should be made to stop! I’m not much of a soap box screamer for saving this animal or that one, but I have kayaked with sea lions – same family of animals – swimming quietly alongside. I can’t imagine taking a club to that beautiful baby’s head for any reason. Their big beautiful eyes watching so inquisitively as they swim along, and the way they frolic to get attention – it’s like flipper clad puppies. Well, appropriate I suppose since the babies are called pups. Please donate to a save the seal fund if you are able, and if not, spread awareness of this horrific slaughter. It truly does need to stop.
National Goof-Off Day – Well, we used to call this playing hooky in school, but no matter what it was called then or now, it’s always fun to declare a day a Goof Off Day. A day to just do anything you want, except what you are SUPPOSED to do, would clear the mind and ease stress, wouldn’t it? Too bad that it could cause issues at work or in school, but if it doesn’t, take the day and go shopping, sit and read, go to lunch with friends, catch a movie . . . do something just for you that you’d enjoy doing. Now the question is, who created this day? I couldn’t find that out, and I searched for awhile – but I must assume it is someone who finally got fed up with towing the expected line and just declared it to be a day to goof off! For a moment I thought perhaps it could have been just done by someone who likes doing nothing, but if that were the case they’d probably have set up a Goof Off Month. THERE’S a month I could celebrate! Since I have to work, maybe I’ll try to figure out a Goof Off Evening where I can pick up something easy for dinner so I can sit with my hubby and enjoy the night rather than cook. Sounds like a plan!
Tuskegee Airmen Day – on March 22, 2016, on a motion by Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, this day was declared to be Tuskegee Airmen Day. Today we honor the nation’s first all-black group of military aviators. They rose above racial discrimination and became one of the most highly respected flying units of World War II. At the time WWII was going on there were some who thought that African Americans were unfit to operate heavy machinery, but the Tuskegee Airmen took those stereotypes and shattered them, performing their duties with skill and valor. Sadly, even though they had such outstanding service records, they still faced bigotry and racism. It was the way things were at that time in history. These American heroes rose above the stereotypes of the day, doing their job as all patriots should – fighting for freedom, with courage in the face of horrible odds. In 1940, President Franklin Roosevelt ordered the US Army Air Corps to create a segregated flying unit that only had African Americans in it. Approximately 16,000 men and women trained at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama to become air traffic controllers, bombardiers, flight instructors, mechanics, navigators, officers, radio technicians, weather forecasters, instructors, and maintenance/support staff. The first black flying unit was activated on March 22, 1941 and the first black pilots were inducted on March 7, 1942. 992 pilots graduated from 1942 through 1946 at the Tuskegee Army Air Field, and between them, flew more than 15,000 combat sorties and 1,200 missions. Among their achievements were 150 Distinguished Flying Crosses, 744 Air Medals, 31 Purple Hearts and 14 Bronze Stars. In 1948, President Harry Truman enacted Executive Order 9981, which mandated equal treatment and opportunity in the U.S. Armed Forces, which helped end racial segregation in the military and became a catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement. What an inspiring time in history!
World Day for Water – This day was created by the UN, so though I believe deeply that all life needs and deserves clean, un-polluted water, I cannot endorse anything the UN does. I don’t believe they truly have the well being of our planet and the people who live on it at heart. With that said though, there are many organizations that DO have the love of people in their hearts, and they are working diligently to provide fresh water to people around the globe. Check out World Concern, one wonderful organization that takes donations and puts the money to good use with a very small percentage going to necessary administration costs. They bring fresh water, food, education, clothing and medical help to communities around the world, including meeting needs in our own country.
Food Celebration of the Day –
Coq Au Vin – No matter how fancy the name of this dish may sound, it’s really just a simple chicken braised in wine, but the deep flavor is anything but simple. Chicken braises are very satisfying in the cold weather, and no matter that the calendar says it’s spring – for many of us it’s still at or below freezing temperatures with possible snow! I found a low-carb version at Sugar Free Mom’s blog, so thought I might try it. Here’s her recipe. If low carb isn’t your thing, here are a few recipes to look over and perhaps try.
Coq Au Vin – The Easy Way
Coq Au Vin Blanc
Spring Chicken Fricassee
Bulgarian Varna-Style Braised Chicken
Braised Chicken with Gratin Tomatoes
Braised Chicken Thighs with Button Mushrooms
Braised Balsamic Chicken with Garlic and Onions
What I would like is to go home and find that a miracle happened, and coq au vin is waiting for us when we get home from work. Since that would mean someone was in our house without permission, as nice as that would be, it’s still an unsettling thought. Which means I need to stop at the store to get a few things and do a quick thaw on some chicken. *sigh*. Oh well, the weather guessers are calling for snow, so this may just be what works for the soul as well as the tummy tonight. I need to go, or I’ll be late. God bless you and I’ll see you tomorrow.
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