Prayers to Repair the Tears in the Fabric of the United States

 Prayers to Repair the Tears in the Fabric of the United States
There has been a lot of mud slinging and outright lies being hurled about one particular Presidential candidate and I am praying that cooler heads will prevail and the flames of discontent and disappointment will not be fanned by malcontents in Hollywood and in the media. Much of the derisiveness has been caused by the Left leaning populous. The assault on others that express their concern for the United States have been threatened and assaulted, in restaurants, in the streets, and there have been attempts to silence their freedom of speech the constant cry of “that offends me” has filled our eears, our work places and everyday life.
I pray this constant of assaults on the garenteed freedoms clearly defined in the Constitution of the United States will be silenced. I pray the wounds and sores caused by the constant friction between the Libeals and Conservatives can be heals. I pray that the tears in the fabric of unity can be repaired and that the ability to coexist can be instituted.
This election campaign has been ugly with the word s Nazi, dictator, and the name of Hitler have been often carelessly used. The saddest thing is the horrors that were once attrached to those terms has been cheapened and has lost the actual facts of history. The abject brutality of those terms is being lost in the battle of words. The potency of the real Holocaust is being diluted and forgotten.
It is hard to overlook the freguent use of those terms when the people who were once admired for their reporting of facts are now being told to recite and share the ideations of their owners in television, radio, and other media. In Russia the state controlled newspaper Pravda is mostly propoganda. Pravda means Truth and the Russian people often ask is it Truth or is it the truth?
Please join me in prayer that the rift caused by this election can be repaired and heal our great nation. Let the rancor that has been instigated by the misinformation be resolved and that the love of families and friends might be restored.

Saving the Innocent

 Saving the Innocent
Friday I attended the annual Veteran’s program at Mt. Carmel Church and Christian School. Each year since 1999 the teachers and students have prepared songs and recitations that share the ideals of our courageous men and women who have sacrificed themselves in past wars. These men and women gave their lives to keep the United States and much of the rest of the world free from tyranny.
This year was another remarkable celebration to remember those who gallantly gave their lives in an attempt to keep our freedom alive in the United States. These young men and women who participated in this program will hopefully recall this time that they honored and respected the valiant soldiers and sailors of Americas past conflicts and those who died to keep them safe.
Filling the pews in front of me were rows of children wearing clothing of reds, whites, and blues. These young, innocent faces would turn back searchimg for familiar people in the crowded pews of the audience of those who gathered to hear and see them recite. Parents, grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles filled the rest of the auditorium. I met and spoke to a few who were not veterans or their spouses, but were there to join in the celebration of our brave men and women who were veterans.
As I sat there, I watched as the youngest children got restless as they gained their assigned seats. Many were searching for their parents. Their faces would light up when they recognized the people they sought. Their small hands would ezcitedly grasp the back of their pew with restless gestures, waiting for the ceremonies to begin. Innocence poured from their angelic faces.
I thought of the perverse people in the world who dared to siphon off that innocence and abuse the children. It angered me to believe that there are pedophile Draculas who would intentionally suck out the carefree time of childhood by trying to instill their perverted ways on these beautiful reflections of God. Too many adults wish to see these babes indoctrinated into the evils of the world. Leave these children alone. As parents and for those who love our children, we must become veterans in the war of morals and fight to preserve their innocence for as long as possible.

Aw Nuts

 Aw Nuts
There are many memories that I have about nuts. My Uncle Ted miner would collect walnuts and hickory nuts in the autumn and dry them in the attic my Grandmother Rebecca Rugg Miner’s large farmhouse. When winter came, he would haul them to the basement, crack them with a hammer on a section of railroad rail and fill a five gallon bucket. He would carry them to the television room and pick out the nut meats. He would sell the nuts to women in the community of Indian Head, Pennsylvania for use in baking the Christmas cookies. He didn’t sell the butternuts. Grandma used them in her candied popcorn.
Another memory of nuts was the nuts sold in the department stores. Murphy’s and McCrory’s had a nut display just inside of their doors. The nuts incluned shelled peanuts, Spanish Peanuts, and cashews. The display rotated and was warmed aand illuminated by a spotliht. The aroma of the roasting nuts was like a siren song, and even though my parents, Carl and Sybil Miner Beck rarely bought them, it was nice to inhale the deliscious smell. Occcasionally someone would buy some and the salesperson would use a metal scoop to lift the chosen nuts, pour them into a white bag, and weigh the contents on a balancing scale.
I don’t bake cookies for Christmas, but instead have made different kinds of nut brittle. I have made peanut brittle, walnut brittle, cashew brittle, almond brittle, and pecan brittle. I make small boxes of the different candy to give as gifts. I no longer make the almond brittle. I think the almond nut flavor gets lost in the brittle. I’ve eaten some spiced and candied nuts and enjoyed their flavor. I may have to check out some of those recipes before Christmas.
My favorite cake is the carrot cake with the sour cream frosting and the cake batter filled with walnuts. I am a bit odd because I don’t like to have raisins in the cake. There is something about the texture of the raisins squishing as I chew. Isn’t that just nuts?
Aw Nuts
There are many memories that I have about nuts. My Uncle Ted miner would collect walnuts and hickory nuts in the autumn and dry them in the attic my Grandmother Rebecca Rugg Miner’s large farmhouse. When winter came, he would haul them to the basement, crack them with a hammer on a section of railroad rail and fill a five gallon bucket. He would carry them to the television room and pick out the nut meats. He would sell the nuts to women in the community of Indian Head, Pennsylvania for use in baking the Christmas cookies. He didn’t sell the butternuts. Grandma used them in her candied popcorn.
Another memory of nuts was the nuts sold in the department stores. Murphy’s and McCrory’s had a nut display just inside of their doors. The nuts incluned shelled peanuts, Spanish Peanuts, and cashews. The display rotated and was warmed aand illuminated by a spotliht. The aroma of the roasting nuts was like a siren song, and even though my parents, Carl and Sybil Miner Beck rarely bought them, it was nice to inhale the deliscious smell. Occcasionally someone would buy some and the salesperson would use a metal scoop to lift the chosen nuts, pour them into a white bag, and weigh the contents on a balancing scale.
I don’t bake cookies for Christmas, but instead have made different kinds of nut brittle. I have made peanut brittle, walnut brittle, cashew brittle, almond brittle, and pecan brittle. I make small boxes of the different candy to give as gifts. I no longer make the almond brittle. I think the almond nut flavor gets lost in the brittle. I’ve eaten some spiced and candied nuts and enjoyed their flavor. I may have to check out some of those recipes before Christmas.
My favorite cake is the carrot cake with the sour cream frosting and the cake batter filled with walnuts. I am a bit odd because I don’t like to have raisins in the cake. There is something about the texture of the raisins squishing as I chew. Isn’t that just nuts?