Ramblings

I think political correctness has gone too far. To many people get their bloomers in a ruffle over a remark or something they see. I just read an article in the newspaper, about a Luther Collage women’s rugby team, dressing in attire that offended some people. This was a spring social event with the theme “gangsters and preps”. Some of the women wore baggy pants, bandannas and fake “grills” on their teeth. They now have apologized for their insensitivity. Evidently their attire was viewed as a stereotypical depiction of young black men. Here’s where I have a problem. Is it not true that some do dress like that? Why would you be offended if you don’t dress that way? And if you do dress that way, why would you be offended. You dress that way to get attention…because you think its cool….you are making a statement! You should be flattered that someone is dressing like you….to copy someone is the most sincere form of flattery. In this country you have a right to dress and look anyway you like. And I have a right to make fun of you if you look like an idiot! It’s OK to make mockery of the President of the United States. Calling him an idiot, a buffoon or stupid, without one shred of evidence to back up the remarks and everyone thinks it’s funny. Dressing up like a gangster rap artist to make fun of him and now you’ve just insulted the entire black population. Making fun of President Bush is perfectly OK but say anything that can be construed as insensitive about President Obama and you are a racist. If you dress and act like an idiot, I am going to say you are an idiot. You can feign outrage all you want but unless you change, I’m still going to think you are an idiot. I am now officially older than dirt and have earned that prerogative! Get over it!

Humor

Willie went to the revival and listened to the preacher. After a while, the preacher asked anyone with needs to come forward and be prayed over. Willie got in line.
When it was his turn, the preacher said, "Willie, what do you want me to pray about?"
"Preacher, I need you to pray for my hearing," he replied.
So the preacher put one finger in Willie's ear and the other on his head and prayed.
After a few minutes, he removed his hands and said "Well, Willie, how's your hearing now?"
Willie scratched his head and said, "I don't know, preacher. It's not until next Wednesday at the courthouse!"

Vacation

Summer vacation with family….at the lake….a tradition. For close to 35 years my whole family, mom and dad, sisters and spouses, children with their spouses and grandkids have been going to the same resort. We started with one cabin and now require three. Everyone looks forward to it. After 35 years you’d think we would know exactly what to take such as; how much food will be required, type of clothes to pack, what fishing gear will be needed, etc. Do we??? Nope!

Every year my wife gets out the “LIST”. This list has evolved over the years and it contains all the items that each cabin should bring in terms of supplies and food that will be shared. Everyone is on the list so everyone will know what their responsibly is. Pretty simple you’d think. Actually after all these years you would think the LIST would be memorized……it would be automatic….everyone just shows up and would know they have brought exactly what they were suppose to bring. Well, every year you wouldn’t believe the phone calls and e-mails with questions about the LIST. The first problem is that no one seems to remember where they put the LIST after last year. Copies are then sent out but there are always questions….. “Is this LIST from last year or two years ago?”…..”Do we need that much cooking oil?” “I think everyone should bring their own trash bags!” “Should I bring sardines?”……..the LIST needs to be revised and re-sent to everyone. Then you start shopping for most of the items, months before you leave. It’s more important to buy Cheerios now, at $3.79 a box than to pay $3.89 a box when we get to the resort. Forget about the fact that the extra weight and space required in the van will decrease the mileage per gallon hence cost more money for gas which will outweigh the savings realized by buying the food and supplies ahead of time.

The other big item that needs to be planned for is fishing gear. As it stands right now, our 3 cabins can supply fishing gear for the entire resort, which are 28 cabins. The poles, reels, tackle boxes, landing nets and depth finder, take up most of the space in the van when we start to pack. And each year we always seem to find new special lures, poles or reels we absolutely have to have. Do we catch fish……yes. The amount is a different story. Years ago, we would go out every day; early in the morning, mid afternoon and early evening. We would then have a fish fry on Friday, with plenty of fish to go around. Now a cabin may go out in the morning and some cabins may go out in the evening but the amount of fish caught is limited. We barely catch enough for an appetizer for a few people. Most of the time, it’s not worth the effort of making the mess. I know what you are thinking…….there isn’t any fish in the lake. There are ….it’s just that when we are there it is a little too early for the fish to be active. If we were to go a few weeks later we’d fill the stringers.

Do we still have a good time?? With golf on premises (with tournaments), tennis, boat rides, bingo, water skiing, minnow races, sand castle building, kids fishing contest…. now could we not?? 3 more weeks and we’ll be there!

Birds

Since I last Blogged about putting up the bird feeders, the birds have been flocking :>) to the feeders. The lastest additions have been the Cedar Waxwing, Indgo Bunting, Cardinal, Common Redpoll, Junco, Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers and Baltimore Oriole. There is one bird I can't identify as it doesn't stay long enought to take a picture and I can't find it in my book. I forgot how much these birds eat! So far, I do not have any squirrels, but I'm sure they'll be around in the near future
This morning I saw two new ones in the yard but not at the feeders.....a Scarlet Tanager and a Blue Bird. It's fun to see them back again!

Plants

Ah…the rite of spring…….planting flowers. I cannot believe so many decisions have to be made. What to plant is always the most overwhelming problem and you are always competing with neighbors and friends. “The Jones’s yard looks so nice, why can’t ours?” First, you have to make sure of what “Climate” you live in as certain plants do not thrive well in the Northern states. I have found that out! Did you know you cannot plant a Palm tree in Iowa??? Second…Where are you going to plant, as you need to know how much sun will be available and how much is needed for certain plants….8 hrs of direct sun, 4-8 hours of direct sun, sunny to partly shady, mostly shade with some sun, all shady? Next…..height has to be considered…..you can’t have short plants behind tall plants. Type of soil…. compacted, loose, mixed with sand or potting soil…will it drain well? How often does it need to be watered?.....everyday…..just keep moist….keep fairly dry…..do not over water or under water…..not sure what “over or under” equates to in cups, pints or gallons? Must fertilizer...but not too much! How much is too much? The more I fertilizer me, the bigger I get! Are you planting annuals or perennials? Each has different care instructions. Colors….here is where it really gets tricky….my wife likes reds, whites, and blues and I like yellows. The only plants that are yellow, in our yard, are dandelions. I guess that’s not tricky at all…it’s pretty decisive. One of the biggest problems we have is critters! We live in a wooded area and the animals view our plants as a buffet. My wife spent an hour planting some Moss Roses in a wire egg basket. They didn’t last even 24 hours. Something has pulled them up and nibbled them off. We have now bought a “Deer and Rabbit” repellent spray to try to keep the animals away from the other plants. The biggest problem with the spray is that it smells like real strong urine. When the wind is just right the whole yard stinks to high heaven!! Plus you have to spray it every week to 10 days or when it rains…whichever comes first. Evidently the neighborhood dog likes it as he is now here sniffing everywhere?
Next year we are just going to “Plant” artificial flowers. We can plant any kind of plant we want, they will already be in bloom, don’t have to water or fertilize, and the critters will leave them alone. Why didn’t we think of this long ago?

Mothers Day

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY! Where would we be without mothers? Really…where would we be? We wouldn’t have been born! Mothers are what gave us our life. Who else can say that? They have nurtured us as babies and infants, read to us, played house with us, encouraged us, consoled us, praised us, scolded us, protected us and loved us. No one comes between a mother and her child! And what has she asked in return? She wants nothing more than to be proud of us and to raise grandchildren. What have we given her in return? Grey hair, sleepless nights, ulcers…..and grandchildren!
Happy Mothers day should be everyday! I know I can speak for my sisters and I……we couldn’t have asked for a greater mom! Thanks mom, for all you have done for us…we love you very much!! Tom, Sandra and Sharon

RAMBLINGS

President Obama is going to raise 60 billion dollars by taxing the wealthiest Americans. 60,000 Americans will each pay 1 million dollars more each year. I don't know how many rich Americans will have to pay; I just used 1 million dollars more in taxes as a starting point. (1,ooo,ooo x 60,000 = 60 billion) There may be more than 60,000 that get targeted. This money will go to “Universal Health Care”, which is estimated to cost 1 trillion dollars. When you divide 60 billion into 1 trillion, it would take over 16 ½ years to pay for. How many of you out there think that 1 trillion will be the final number??? The rich are not the only one whose taxes will be raised!
All of this is not my point! Donald Trump was on Fox News this morning and when the host talked about the 60 billion more from the rich, Mr. Trump said “I don’t like this!!” I ask, Mr. Trump what were you and your rich celebrity friends thinking when you were endorsing Obama? During the campaign Obama said many times that he was going to raise the taxes of the rich? Did you think he was kidding, he really didn’t mean it or it wouldn't apply to you and your friends? And you don’t like this??? I guarantee we poor slups believed him and know it will trickle down to us! And we can’t afford it! The U.S. Constitution says nothing about entitlements. Medicare, Social Security, welfare, etc……..we are going to “entitle” the U.S. into the poor house……….based on the deficit, we are already there! Health Care will push us over the brink.

Ramblings

Let me get this straight. According to a TV spot, an old man is mad at the oil companies, for raising the price of gas and has just about had enough of them! (I think it was T Boone Pickens) He seemed to be advocating alternative energy sources like “Wind Turbines”. “Facts….nothing but the facts madam!” The average price of gas was $1.78 in 2005 and $2.28 in 2006. The average price today is approximately $2.09. Fact…..the price of gas is now lower than 2006, 2007, and 2008. The price went up in 2006 – 2008 because the price of imported oil, from foreign sources, went to $148.00 a barrel. The outcry, from the American people, to find more oil sources at home caused the price of oil from foreign countries to go down. It wasn’t the U.S. oil companies that caused the gas prices to rise. By all accounts, the United States has more than enough oil reserves to wean ourselves from the clutches of foreign countries. We could be virtually self-sufficient with our own oil……..we just have to drill for it…….and there is the rub! Congress won’t allow it.
Getting back to the wind turbines. I am for exploring all forms of alternative energy……. wind, coal, natural gas, nuclear,…..you name it. But to subtlety suggest we should start exploring wind turbines as a means to get rid of the need for big oil companies is just plain dishonest!! Fact…..Airplanes, trains, trucks, cars, SUVs, motorcycles……all need fuel derived from oil. America’s economy depends on transportation. Only 1½ % of all transportation uses something other than oil/gas. I have never seen a wind powered car or truck. Even the Hybrid cars need backup gas. The electric batteries only last for so long and then the gas engine has to kick in which runs a generator to recharge the batteries. Batteries need to be recharged. You couldn’t take a long trip with batteries alone. Batteries are big and heavy. Longer trips would require bigger batteries which would weight more which would require bigger batteries…..a vicious cycle. So……be honest…..it will be years before we have an alternate fuel source for transportation. Until then, explore for our own oil and look for ways to make transportation more fuel efficient and still safe. Quite beating up the oil companies…..they are not the bad guys!! The oil companies make 8% profit after expenses…….Microsoft makes over 25%......get mad at Microsoft and stop using your computer.
P.S. I’m sure everyone knows T Boone Pickens has invested heavily in Wind Turbines and would profit greatly from the sale of them.

Follow up

My mistake ......I was wrong. They did get to the bottom of it. It only took 12 days to figure out who authorized if. I guess Louis had the authority to get Air Force One to fly over the Statue of Liberty. What other authorities do White House Aides have???? Louis said the "Controversy" had made it impossible to effectively lead the White House Military Office..........how about the "stupidity"??? Can you say scape goat??? Just think of how many people would have to be involved to pull-off this fly-over?? I cannot believe Obama didn't even have a hint of it!

WASHINGTON (AP) — A top White House aide resigned Friday for his role in Air Force One's $328,835 photo-op flyover above New York City that sparked panic and flashbacks to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Louis Caldera said the controversy had made it impossible for him to effectively lead the White House Military Office. "Moreover, it has become a distraction in the important work you are doing as president," Caldera said in his resignation letter to President Obama.
MEMO: Operation cost $328,835
The sight of the huge passenger jet and an F-16 fighter plane flying past the Statue of Liberty and the lower Manhattan financial district sent panicked office workers streaming into the streets on April 27. Obama said it would not happen again.

Don't hold your breath!!

Birds

After several years without bird feeders, I was able to put some out yesterday. We are re-modeling the lower deck and I took down the steps from the top deck, temporarily, which means the raccoons do not have access to the feeders or plants up there. After years of putting up with them destroying our plants (digging in the planters looking for bulbs) and emptying the sunflower seed feeder in just one night, we took away the plants and feeders. They would also leave their "calling card" on the deck and steps when they left. After putting up the feeders just yesterday afternoon, this morning I have already seen, Gold Finches, Pine Siskins, Nuthatches, Chickadees, Hummingbirds, and a Rose-Breasted Grosbeak. Cool!!! Welcome back! Now to start adding the potted plants again.

Just for laughs

Driving to town this morning on the interstate, I looked over to my left and there was a woman in a brand new Mustang doing 65mph with her face up next to her rearview mirror putting on her eyeliner! I looked away for a couple of seconds and when I looked back she was drifting over into my lane, still working on her makeup!
It scared me so badly, I dropped my electric shaver, which knocked the donut out of my hand. In all of the confusion of trying to straighten out the car using my knees against the steering wheel, my cell phone got knocked away from my ear and fell into the coffee between my legs, which splashed and burned my thigh, put out my cigarette, ruined my phone and disconnected an important call!!

Darn women drivers!

Ramblings

Waiters and waitresses….. What an interesting job. Here is a job that takes the attitude of a Saint to be successful. You must serve a customer with a smile and pleasant voice even though they are either in a real hurry or just want to sit and gab for hours over a cup of coffee and you have to keep filling the coffee cup. The customers can be demanding, rude or condescending, change their mind for what they want even if the order has been placed with the kitchen, want their food prepared a special way, claim they told you something when in fact they forgot to tell you. They then feign outrage. They blame you when the food is late, cold, not prepared properly….things out of your control. They’re mad at you when your water glass is not filled immediately after they have taken the last sip, yet do not want you “hovering” and interrupting their conversations when you have a question. You have to be part psychic, part psychologist, part Shirley Temple, part diplomatic, and very sympathetic and consoling when they are not happy. You are all of these things because of the “Tip”. The tips are the bulk of your salary. You cannot make a decent living on the minimum wage your employer pays. He is also counting on you receiving decent tips. You need the tips.
If you “Wait” in an high end restaurant, like Morton’s Steakhouse, your tips can be huge and you can make a great living……at an average restaurant like Applebee’s or T.G.I. Friday’s you can make a very nice living…..at a Ma and Pa diner, you will struggle to get ahead. The inequity is that you will probably do the exact same amount of work in each type of restaurant. In many Ma & Pa cafes you actually do more work as you have to set up and clean your own tables. It used to be that a “tip” was a little extra reward for exceptional service. Now tips are mainly determined by a % of the total bill, not the service provided. Customers automatically give a tip of 15-20% unless the service was pathetic.….then they will usually tip 10% or less…..but still tip. In some cases today, if you have 8 or more at your table the “Tip” (gratuity) is automatically added to the bill. Evidently it’s assumed that you have received exceptional service and they are just saving the customer time trying to figure how much of a tip should be left. Why don’t they just say ”if you are going to sit here, at one long table, with 7 other people we are going to charge you 15% more because large tables tip less than normal and the waitress’ do not want to wait on large tables. ”? Why say it’s a gratuity…be honest and say it’s a way to insure the waitress gets a decent tip. Note: I have been told that if you do complain about the automatic tip, the management will take it off.
Now the flip side. Some waiters/waitress’ are dumber than door knobs. They have no business serving customers……not if the owners want the customers to return. You can tell them what you want several times and they will still mess it up. “Oh I thought you said you wanted mustard on your mashed potatoes” Water? Forget it…you only get one full glass. How many times have you seen your order, at the service window, ready to be brought to you, hot and your waiter doesn’t see it? By the time you finally get it, it’s cold. Sometimes instead of staggering the food, they bring you the soup, salad and main dish all at once. There is hardly room on the table to fit all of it. Why?....because they forgot to bring the soup and salad separately and then remembered when the main dish was ready to serve. How many times does the waitress say “Who ordered their steak medium with hash browns? Or…..she brings you some other table’s food. She should know who ordered what…that’s part of her job! Typically these type of waitress’s are young, this isn’t going to be their full time profession and their mind is elsewhere. You are much better off having an older person serve you. They take pride in what they do…making sure they get the order right (after you order they repeat it back to you to make sure they understood)…..your satisfaction is important to them….they enjoy their work and earn their tips! Usually this is their full time job, and they want your dining experience to be enjoyable. They do deserve a larger gratuity!
Now my pet peeve! Waitress’s can be prompt, courteous, helpful, and cheerful when you first sit down, when you order, when the food and desert comes…….but …….where are they when it’s time for the check????? I’m done…I want to get out of here…..I want to pay and go…. Nothing lowers the amount of money I leave for a tip more, than having to wait for the check! That’s just me!

Follow up

Just a quick follow up on a blog I wrote 6 days ago. The one about the "Air Force One fly-over" of New York City. Reporters asked about it yesterday and guess what.....they still haven't gotten to the bottom of it. Suprise suprise! Oh ...and the official pictures taken, of the fly-over, aren't being released by the White House. It cost the tax payers close to $400,000 for the photos yet we can't see them! What do you want to bet that this just gets swept under the rug and forgot about?? What's wrong with this picture?

Quotes

“I have found out that there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.” - Mark Twain

Travel

I was watching a Western movie the other day and the good guys formed a posse and went after some bad guys. They were galloping as fast as they could to try to catch them……but ….how did they know where to go? There weren’t any paved roads, street signs, maps or GPS to follow…..just a few buggy tracks and a stage coach road. On a horse you don’t need a road. You can go anywhere you want. How many times did the lawmen take a wrong turn or get lost? Did they ever truly catch the bad guys?
Imagine if you wanted to go to Tombstone Arizona from St. Paul Minnesota in 1880. How would you plan for such a trip? It is 1,292 miles from St. Paul to Tombstone. A horse with a rider can comfortably travel 20 miles a day…..30 miles if you push it on occasion…. 30 miles if you were pulling a buggy, as it is easier on the horse. (This is a fact from the Amish) That means it would take at least 1½ - 2 months or more to get to Tombstone. How much money will you need to take? What provisions do you take, such as food, clothing, ammunition, bedroll, toilet paper, matches, soap, toothbrush etc. How many days will the provisions last? You will obviously have to replenish supplies along the way. What towns will you be going thru and will you have to go out of your way to get to a town for supplies which will make the trip even longer. How many wrong turns? You also have to factor in water, food and rest for the horse. How much time will you spend looking for water? What about inclement weather? Where would you find shelter? There were no telephones or cell phones or GPS to ask for directions and the maps were quite crude. Will there be a job for you in Tombstone when you get there? Mine for silver? What if the best spots for silver are taken? Where will you stay? There weren’t any Holiday Inns and you couldn’t call the local Tombstone hotel for reservations. My guess is that there wasn’t a direct telegraph line to Tombstone. It took a lot of courage to embark on a trip like that. But then again, that’s the way it was…..the sense of adventure…the pioneer spirit…the possibility of “Striking it rich!” You really didn’t plan for the trip; you just figured you’d live off the land and the hospitality of strangers and “Go for it!” So what if it took 2-3 months to get there, what better things did you have to do? The only question was “would it be worth it?”
I was having supper with a couple of friends Friday night and a trip to Arizona, next year, was brought up. It was decided that four of us in one van would never work what with all the provisions we’d have to take. The talk was to spend a month touring the Arizona Territories. How many clothes will we all have to take? All we have!! You never know what the weather is going to be like. It may be hot….shorts and cut off sleeves….it may be cool……long pants, long sleeves and a light jacket for the evening…….it may be cold…sweat shirts and heavy jackets. Women also have to have clothes for slightly hot, slightly cool and slightly cold. Can’t forget 4 sets of golf clubs golf balls, golf shoes, golf caps, and golf shirts. (Not to be confused with the above regular shirts.) This trip will take all of 3 days to get there, with one of the days reserved for sightseeing, so we will need movies for the DVD player in the van, a cooler for pop and water (maybe a wine cooler) and ice, a cooler for sandwich fixings, and a travel basket with utensils, plates, cups, napkins and snacks….lots of snacks! In that I am going along, we have to include medical supplies.....lots of medical supplies! Enough to cover any contingency, short of amputation. Don’t forget digital cameras, video cameras, cell phones and computers so we can get our e-mails or look up area attractions on the Internet. We will need current maps and a GPS navigation system. It can be up to 30 miles between towns and we might get lost. Our friends have one which they have named “Florence”. Sometimes Florence gets confused and misleads you with road directions but she is great at finding restaurants, gas stations and hotels. Don't forget to make room reservations and have our mail forwarded for a couple of weeks. When packing, we also will need to leave plenty of room for all the souvenirs certain people will buy. We have decided that we either have to take two vans or pull a U-Haul trailer. We could never plan a trip like this in 1880…..we’d need to take two stagecoaches. If we start planning right now we might be ready to go next March.

church

This morning in church we had a guest Pastor. He is now retired but had been confirmed in our church 57 years ago. He was reminiscing about how the sanctuary had not changed much in 57 years. He pointed out that to the left of the altar was an area, with 3 rows of benches, where the Junior Choir used to sit every Sunday. People only sit there now when we have a full church. Otherwise it’s empty. Jenn is right...what ever happened to Junior Choirs?
Today we had the full force of loud children. First the kindergarten and preschool children sang for us. They sang the first verse of 7 different songs. It was so enjoyable! However we also sat between two loud and crying children during the service. We sat up front just behind a couple that we know. In the row in front of them sat, a mom, dad and their 2 little boys. The oldest was in the kid’s program so mom wanted to video tape the program. The youngest would not sit still and made noise throughout the service….during the literary he bumped his head and was crying quite loud, for quite a few minutes….did mom or dad take him outside…no-o-o-o. Right behind us sat a family whom also had a young boy in the kid’s program. They also had a younger boy who was really noisy the entire service. He sat directly behind me…..me… who is also hard of hearing. I’m not sure that I really heard anything except him, during the service.
You can’t be too mad at loud children in church as it is a good thing that their parents are bringing them to church. You just wish that they would sit toward the back so it would be easier to take the child out into the narthex when they cry or get too loud. They should be more respectful of those around them who are trying to listen to the service. Amen!

Church

Wit and Wisdom for the Aged has blogged several times about silence in church. I think that the church experience, as a whole, has changed over the past 50 years. I also think every person has their own individual idea on how the experience in church should be. As I was growing up in Nebraska, church seemed very structured and Holy. As I recall there was a nursery/children’s room, in the balcony, where parents with small antsy children or babies, could watch and enjoy the service behind glass. The little kids could play and the babies could cry without disrupting the service. You had the traditional service with traditional songs and every thing seemed very reverent. Once a month, you always went to the communion rail and knelt for the Sacraments, given by the ordained Pastors. Communion was treated very special. “Gosh darn” was exactly like taking the Lords name in vain, according to the Pastors wife. The adult and children’s choir always wore robes. Everyone dressed up for church….suits, ties, and dresses. You didn’t have services on Saturday evening for the convenience of the members. Sunday was the day for worship and a day of rest. This was God’s house and you respected it! That didn’t change for years.
When I was in High School and we were going to a different church, the tradition seemed to change a little. You still wore suits and ties but there were some who were a little more casual. The choirs still wore robes, still went to the rail for the Sacraments…..but it was a little nosier…..it seemed more of a social gathering than visiting “God’s house”. I remember going to a Catholic church several times and thinking…….Wow....this place really feels special! The genuflecting, making the sign of the cross, the incense, the Latin readings, the hugeness and old architecture of the building, the ceremony…..you really felt you were in a very special place. I didn’t get the same feeling when I went into my church. Don’t get me wrong, I really liked my church and was involved with many of the youth activities. I’m talking about inner feelings.
I don’t know why it has changed but today it sure has. Today we have 3 different types of services...Contemporary...Traditional.....Less traditional. Why do we need three different ones? Depending on the service, the Lord's Prayer is even different. Try saying the one you have known for years when everyone else is saying it different. Every service, where I am a member, Communion is administered by the Pastor and lay people, some which are very young with little or no training. (The members who administer the Sacraments to “Shut-Ins” do have the training.) You go to the railing once a month. The other times it’s “drive by”, walking up to the front, stay standing, you are given the Sacraments and then walk back to your pew. You sing songs that you don’t know, never heard of, can’t follow the beat…..so you don’t sing….just read the words to yourself. In the old days you’d practice new songs before the service so you knew how to sing them. Our Choir only wears Robes for special occasions like Christmas and Easter time. All other times they just dress casual. Our members wear shorts, flip flops, cut offs, blue jeans, T-shirts, nice casual cloths and the older folks still wear suits, ties and dresses(very few). During the Saturday night service the Pastor doesn’t even wear a robe and the service is shorter. Kids are playing and babies are crying during the services. Occasionally parents will take them outside but not often enough. Do I like my church? It is super! I don’t remember another church that has made me feel more welcome and special. I also know that has a lot to do with me wanting a closeness with a church, a wanting to participate in the activities and be an active member. Do I miss the feelings I had years ago? Absolutely! Would I like to see some things change? Yes. Should I work for some of the changes that I like even thought others think differently? For sure! But, as my Dad always said “Go with the Flow”. After hearing about the problems of other congregations, there is nowhere I’d rather be, than at my little church!