Back to some of the usual madness

And it only to Mick Mulvaney to bring me back to insanity. Gee whillickers Mr. Wilson, Congress people even admit they are screwing the people.

And if this is not more proof to the pudding that we need new parties, where do I find it? Yes, I know there are some headlines that say there is bi-partisan outrage about his comments. Where is the action?

Seriously, watch what happens…nothing, no new bills from either party or nothing they expect to pass. I have said this before that you will never be able to illegalize lobbying. You can put serious boundaries on it. My suggestion in the past was and is, no money given to campaigns etc… and all lobbyists can only speak to Congress in open session/committee meetings. They have no right to have more access to Congress just because they are throwing money around. Yes, Mulvaney covered his bases a bit saying I would always give my constituents time. This still does not give him the right to throw around access based on money.

And he said this to bankers giving them advice on how he can avoid doing his job of protecting consumers assets at their banks. And how you ask? BY LOBBYING AGAINST THESE PROTECTIONS his agency is suppose to be enforcing.  How bad will it get?

We need new major parties because the ones we have are so self-serving they cannot see how despicable they have become. And the pretentious left can scream all the want about Democrats not doing this,,, yeah right. If they didn’t, we would have legislation that prevented this crap a long time ago.

And by accident I am learning what life was like before cell phones. My phone went wacko last week. And yes I have not gone to my local carrier’s store to buy a new one yet. I do not know if I am being anti-technology or being lazy. Probably lazy. I could have gone last night but went to dinner instead. It was nice here, had the street tacos and a couple cervazas at a local outdoor hangout. Yep, gotta agree much more fun than trying to decide how much technology I need on a device in my pocket. And even though they weren’t Coronas, sure made me want to spend a few nights on a beach with my better half and those same cervazas.

And today a mild cool front came through, so no outdoor dining tonight. We have been averaging one cool front a week. And this is good. We aren’t averaging the 90’s yet so no $900 air conditioning bills for now. 100 degrees will come and so will the bills, just great delayed for as long as possible.

It probably won’t last, but I am routing for Utah over OKC, Indiana over Cleveland, and if Houston, Cleveland, and Golden State all don’t make the finals; more power to the NBA. They have a few up and coming stars and time for them to get their due. It will probably be Houston or Golden State in the finals. The East is much more up for grabs. Philadelphia looks good. I haven’t seen much of Toronto in the playoffs, but they had a good year. And who knows maybe Indiana will surprise and move on. I am glad for them that some of the moves paid off since they lost so many other players recently. Yet, you know, I am still a Mavericks homey all the way. Next year is still next year for me. For now, I am routing for the underdogs.

Enjoy your spring everyone

Story Part 4 -conclusion and some thoughts in general about the story afterwards.

I have a point for this story, so I am more focused on the point than the story itself. I do not want to give it away, so I hope you finish and then reflect on the questions or discussion I have post story. I hope to accomplish my point so here goes. And remember this is just one story, there are so many others in life.

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John kept working even into his golden years. Mary asked him to retire many times. She married him to be with him and she had raised a wonderful family which is what he asked of her. She was now ready to spend time with him. She tried tempting him with them traveling and enjoying the fruits of his many labors. She talked how wonderful the children are doing and about the grandchildren.

She and John would still go to Church together, yet she wondered how much he received from church other than his incessant desire to achieve success. He worked hard. She felt that was enough. Well, she still gave generously for him. He was very adamant about making sure the Church received. Yet, this was the only charity he seemed to care about.

The Pastor was always so grateful for what John did for the church. The Pastor always greeted John warmly and affectionately whenever he was in town. And the Pastor even took up some of Mary’s encouragement for him to retire. He told John he was successful and now it was time for him to come to church and teach others to be successful. There were many young families in the church still and the Pastor knew he needed them to give as much as John and his generation. He needed John front and center, and now not just for his contributions.

John strived to be the perfect embodiment of the successful man. He knew no other life now. John did start to worry he was going to work till he died or when he retired he would die. He felt work was his only purpose. And it wasn’t the work. He never really loved his job. He did well because he understood it and was dedicated to it. He didn’t love or desire it.

Mary spent the years with the children and grandchildren. John let her spoil the grandkids and she did. It gave her so much pleasure to see her family do well. She wished John would participate. He already missed so much. She would call and put the grandkids on the phone to talk to him hoping it would tug on his heart. Sometimes it did, and he would meet up with them occasionally. John felt he had a heart and definitely wanted the grandkids to see him. He wanted them to know what he did and what he did for them. He felt he provided for his family and his efforts would benefit his family for years to come.

Yet, the grandkids did not know him. After so many years he was just another person that passed through their lives occasionally. Someone to say I love you, but never understanding why. Their Grandmother was a different story. She brought love and joy whenever she came. Her kids and the grandkids showed much affection and happiness whenever she came. And she visited all the children regularly. In her eyes, they were perfect.

Unfortunately, John was right. And it happened too soon for Mary. Just as she had given up on him retiring John passed away. He died still working. He was in his early seventies. Mary grieved heavily for him and for a life she wanted with him. The whole family came to the funeral. No one was interested in the Will. They wanted to say goodbye to the man in their life, yet never really knew. They had always hoped he had loved them yet were unsure. At this juncture even, Mary was unsure if John ever loved anything.

The Pastor was sad and ecstatic. He knew he would miss John. John had helped him greatly with advice on building the church. John taught the Pastor had to run a business which even the Pastor admitted it was in some ways. Actually, more than he admitted to himself. He felt like he was leading a flock of sheep, always teaching the good word. Yet, his sermons relied less on theology, and more on inspiration. His inspiration with help from John and a few other families like John’s. Mary may not have been the woman of the church he and John thought she needed to be, but she was always present and by John’s side. The kids were very active so to many members of the congregation, they were a great family.

And he knew John’s Will gave much to the Church. They had talked many times. Mary was going to be the executor and reaffirmed many times she would follow John’s instructions. That wasn’t what excited him.

John’s funeral was huge. Very huge. The Church auditorium which held 10,000 people was overflowing. He preached and he preached with great enthusiasm. He told the congregation and the visitors John was in heaven. He knew John was in heaven. John’s success showed he was a man of great faith and led a very prayerful life. Mary listened and wondered about the Pastor saying that. John never showed faith in God, only what he did. And John never prayed, that she knew. He had told her many times that if she wanted him to pray she should pray for what he wants. Mary had, but prayed more often for many other blessings for many people, but John hadn’t prayed for anyone including her as far as she knew.

The Pastor went on. He showed pictures of John and his family as they grew to the congregation. Mary had shared much about their lives and the Pastor exalted John to the congregation.

And John was there. John sensed he had died. He felt the funeral. He didn’t see or hear it. He felt it as he was being pulled somewhere else. He felt the pageantry of it all. He moved on. Soon he felt others somewhere. He sensed the great joy of many. He also felt the confusion of a few. He sensed he had the same confusion. Over time he kept drifting and more and more he sensed only the confusion and emptiness of his surroundings.

Over time it felt like there were no others around him. No noise that he didn’t hear but felt. No joy that existed when he first passed away. He did not know where that went. As time went on he felt less and less. Eventually he felt like he was drifting into a cave. It wasn’t damp or cold like he thought a cave should feel. Instead it was just dark and the hard walls surrounding him were the last things he remembered feeling. Then there was no feeling, no senses, no others, just him in this cave that he couldn’t feel anymore, but knew that no one would penetrate the walls, not even Mary which was the last thing he remembered before he drifted into an eternal loneliness.

The End

I know not many of my readers are very religious because I mainly talk about politics, sports, or other innocuous items. And I wonder if it even matters to you. If not, so be it.

If you want some philosophical thought: I wonder about many things and so when the headlines said Pope Francis said there is no hell, I thought differently, but that is not why I wrote this story. I did not read the story behind the headlines, so Pope Francis may have said there is no hell like we describe. To me, hell is eternal life without joy or love. (Can you tell from the story? lol) The real reason I wrote this is the misconception of so much of Christendom about what it takes to get to heaven.

I am not preaching against being a successful person. I believe people have a right to work hard and enjoy the fruits of their labors. I firmly believe this.

Think about this, what if a man or woman makes hundreds of millions of dollars through their own business. They never go to church of any kind. Yet, they always pay their labor and executives more than a reasonable wage. They make sure the company always improves its products, so the customer gets a fair deal. In their personal life, they enjoy people, are generous towards various secular charities or food pantries. They give of themselves in every way. Would they not go to heaven even though they are wealthy and non-religious? As long as a person, puts others before them, respects others, gives to the poor or to the betterment of society, are they not living what Christ teaches. So being rich or being successful does not have to keep you from heaven if you so believe in heaven. And yes, I know the scripture that says it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a wealthy person to go to heaven, but I feel it is not impossible, nor should it be. It boils down to how you approach life. So, John didn’t have joy because he was rich, John didn’t have joy because he never had it in him. He never gave to receive.

And on another note please put hate aside and work towards what we can do as people instead of tearing down others. If for example, you think you hate someone for whatever reason, define that reason and teach yourself and that person why doing things together would be better for both of you.  It is all about effort. And if you won’t make the effort, why should they. Hate shows a lack of effort on living life on your part.

Love and joy are gifts that too often we let lie on the coffee table unwrapped.

Story part 3 and a couple of words first

Well it is Spring in North Texas and allergy season is one heck of a pain in the neck this year. It is always bad for allergy sufferers, yet this year is a bit more than normal.

And I wanted to finish this story rather quickly while I was somewhat inspired, but real life happens, things come up, and someone else wants to do something. I need apologize to you for not being more disciplined. Yeah, right.

And someone said on the news the other night it has been a boring week. And though I love the D.C. debacle it probably does help things calmed down for a bit. Calm before another storm? And speaking of storms we are getting some today as I write. Just heard the rumble of thunder. Maybe I should wait on writing since there is lightning in the air. I wouldn’t want to write something that gets a bolt or two headed in my direction. Ha ha.

And some coffee please,,, just put the coffee pot in the dishwasher and now I am wanting some more. sheesh

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John and Mary continue to thrive in life, yet in different ways. John constantly worked; the kids grew. Each of their children achieved success in high school and middle school. John regrets that none of his children play football. He thinks to himself this is Mary’s fault, she coddles them too much. They have five now. Three boys and two girls. Both girls do well in school and one of the boys and one of the girls participate in marching band and love it. No one in the family tree can figure out where they got their talent since no one remembers playing an instrument growing up on both the paternal and maternal side of the family. John has a faint memory of his Father singing around the house and was pretty good, but other than that, everyone is clueless. Still, it bothers John since playing in band is not manly enough for the boy. He isn’t too pleased with these children’s successes.

One boy plays soccer and the other basketball. The other girl is a bookworm according to John. None of his children are growing up the way he expected and quietly holds grudges towards Mary about the children.

The children are happy and thriving. Mary is extremely busy running around with all the activities and is so busy she just ignores John’s occasional affairs now. And he has much fewer than he did before the conversation with his Pastor. She loves her children and relishes in all their accomplishments. They feel her love and enjoy being with her, even when they must go to church with Grandma and Grandpa.

Since their Dad is only home about half the Sundays of the year they spend their time with him at his church. His church is much easier to attend with youth groups that engage in fun activities. Half the time they don’t even go to service, just spend time hanging out with the youth group, eating pizza and with youth pastors asking how they expect to become successful. No one really knows at this point in their life, they just have fun hanging out. In Grandma and Grandpa’s church, it is much more serious, and they attend real Sunday Bible class, plus going to service. They spend almost three hours there. The one good moment is between service and class when they stop by to get donuts. The adults get coffee and the kids get juice.

The years meld into one another. Soon the first child graduates. They spend the summer on a family vacation. John senses that time is passing by quicker than he realizes and decides the family needs a real vacation. John for one of the few times, pulls out all the stops for his family and takes them on a ten-day vacation to the Caribbean. This is the most wonderful vacation all of them can remember. The rest of the summer is spent by Mary shopping and crying for her oldest. They spend a few days at the new school. Mary cries silently all the way home. She, more than John, realizes how precious time is becoming.

The other kids go back to high school and middle school and soon she is so busy she barely has time to call her child at college. Christmas comes and goes. The school year ends. Summer passes, now two are in college.

Even though he had been sick for quite some time, Mary’s Father had held up well. Many people didn’t realize how hard the cancer had hit him until the last few weeks. He passed quickly it seemed to Mary.

John did spend time at home during this time. And one day John was talking to his Father in law. They had never been close, yet Dad wanted to say something to John. As he lay on his death bed, there was so much he wanted to say, but he was weak now. He did tell John to remember that love is an effort. You must give love to receive love and not to worry so much about success and money.  He tries to share a bible verse with John

                “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. . . . No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. (Matt. 6:19–24)

He was barely able to express this sentiment and his feelings that he wanted John to understand. He fell asleep trying to explain. He passed soon thereafter. Mary’s parents were close. Mom passed away before another year went by.

John did go to his Pastor to ask about his Father’s illness and death. He took Mary along as his way to console her. The Pastor quoted Isaiah 53:5 “The Punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.”  The Pastor explained that no believer would ever be sick and believers will live their full life. He explained that maybe Mary’s Father was experiencing some doubt in his life and that is why late in life he got cancer. Mary was not consoled by this sentiment. She remembered a sermon where her parent’s preacher talked about Isaiah prophesizing that Jesus would atone for our sins and heal us from sin.

Mary spent about a year in grief after her parents died. She found great solace in the programs her parents’ church had for people grieving. The Church John and her attended did not have many service orientated ministries so she only spoke to the Pastor the one time with John.

John was still very involved at church when he was home. He continued to attend the board meetings and was well respected in the community for his success. Even though he did not like some of the career choices the older children were making, many people saw their success as a reflection on how involved he was in the church. Mary, in the church’s eye was not that prominent. She never joined any women’s groups nor seemed successful herself. Mary didn’t care she was still quite content showering her children with love and doing more service work at her parent’s church.

John and Mary began the laborious process of growing old together, well for Mary it now seemed a laborious process.

To be continued.

Part 2 of story and some comments to get started

Things are getting hot and heavy in Trump land. I sure hope Mueller and company are right. Raiding an attorney’s office is a big deal. There is client attorney privilege in this country and I know it needs to be protected. Just because it is Trump’s attorney, doesn’t mean we can break the rules. And this may make Trump step out and fire Mueller because he may be close. What happens next actually scares me. I am just hoping this Trump Presidency just fades away into history and we avoid the conundrum developing amongst Trump’s diehard followers, potential alt right militias, some members of the government versus a large group of random liberals thinking they can fight this madness. Will the majority of the government stand by the rule of law? Like I said I would prefer he fade away, however with each passing day his attempts at policy to appease his base are doing more damage to this county. We are fast approaching a true rock and hard place disaster.

I hope everyone remembers that the rule of law and our Constitution are our government, not any one individual.

And even though Putin’s friends took a beating in certain markets today, it does not mean Putin is losing. Stock market loses only count when you sell. Putin can keep them afloat till things get better. And if Putin and Trump are working together, then they will get better. Everyone in their 401k is told to ride out the bumps, so it goes for billionaires also. Don’t be fooled.

I, first, was going to comment about a news blurb I saw before the news broke on the raid on Cohen where Trump admitted that the tariffs may be causing some farmers some grief. And then he goes on to state that it will be much better I promise. He promised. He has promised much without much to show for it except favors to the rich and corporate greed. I just don’t understand how people can listen to him promise something repeatedly and believe him the next time after so many promises to his base have not come to fruition. The press beats those promises to death every day and so do the commenters, so I do not need to list them, however, at some point people would like to see results. The tariff is going to produce results, but how long till his base realizes this is not the promise of results he made to them? I am flabbergasted.

And who cares about the story when so much is going on? Well I do since I started the darn thing. 

Part 2:

John and Mary continued to thrive. John worked hard, traveled much and counted on Mary to manage the house and household budget. She promised John she would be a good stay at home woman and she met her part of the bargain. He continually earned more money and more prestige at work, so he met his part of the bargain. Yet, as always something is missing when there is no communication.

After they lived in their first house for a few years, John wanted a larger house. He wanted to be able to entertain he said. Mary wondered when since he was always gone. They got a bigger house soon after their second child was born. They lived there for three years, then after once the third child was a year old they got a bigger house. And John did entertain. He was becoming a central figure in their Church now. The Pastor love to talk about John’s success. The Pastor reinforced his beliefs through John’s success. So, John started having Church meetings in their house when he was in town. These meetings were a burden on Mary since she had to prepare for them. John didn’t believe they should spend more money than necessary on anything. Mary would cook all day. She loved doing it which helped.

Mary really enjoyed the aspects of home and family. She did thrive in this environment. Unfortunately, her main release was to spend some time with her parents when John was away. Otherwise she was constantly busy. She cleaned, cooked for the kids, ran errands for the kids’ school, was in the PTO, did well with fund raising, everything she thought she wanted, she had.

Over time she realized John did not pay that much attention to her. She knew why. Eventually it became so common that even the Pastor realized what was going on and addressed it in a marriage counseling session. He asked Mary to forgive John his transgressions. He spent time explaining how important it was for Mary to forgive as a Christian. John never asked her, the Pastor did.

The affairs were not really affairs. John would be with women when he traveled. He never really paid attention to them. He used them to cater to his needs and actually mainly his business needs when he was out of town. Many of the people he did business with thought he brought various secretaries with him when he traveled, he had them doing some much for him. He went through women pretty regularly since he never offered them anything but handouts. Many thought they could control him and take him for their own. They were always disappointed.

Mary had always suspected. The Pastor needed John to be successful in wealth, but also a healthy family dynamic. John was always fit, took care of himself, ate well when the company paid for it, worked out, went to the doctor regularly so he looked great. One reason it was easy for so many women to be tempted by him. So Mary had to look good also. It worried the Pastor that Mary was always so busy. Too busy to smile at church when called upon to witness to the success of being a good Christian. He called on them both at the meetings of the Church Board of Directors. The whole Board was full of successful people. The Pastor and the Church founders made sure of that. John and Mary were an integral part of the visual the Church wanted to project. There were many other couples, yet John was so driven he was a shining example of God’s blessing on those who believed the correct way.

Mary let the Pastor know she forgave John. This made the Pastor happy. He knew he had this in his information in case someone questioned what was going on between John and Mary. Another example of a strong Christian family. Mary resented that John never asked her, yet as a good Christian she did forgive him. The Pastor asked John to be a better Christian. John toned down his activities and made sure he was more discreet. He didn’t tell the Pastor. He felt if he was blessed there was no reason to change. Everything he believed about God now was based on his success. God blessed him because God favored him. That was what the Pastor taught and that was all he needed to know.

Her forgiveness though was more because of the teachings of a different Pastor. She relished going to Church with her Mom and Dad. It was a smaller Church and there weren’t the large activities for the children John and her Church had, yet it felt more comfortable.  The kids enjoyed it the same as the larger Church, well as much as any child likes going to church. She was pleasantly surprised that her parents had gone back to church. They had gone for years when she was younger, but over time had quit. Something about her getting married had re-inspired them and she was happy for them. Also, the Pastor there taught more of what she remembered when she was young. God was forgiving and kind, yet he expected you to do more for others. It involved more than just saying you believed, you had to show God you loved by your actions for others. John and she gave to their church. John made sure Mary gave every week so when she didn’t go to the larger church, she would drop a check by the church office. John saw the amount each year for their taxes and was quite pleased Mary was giving. It was always ten percent, no more, no less. John was pleased Mary knew math. Mary was also good at budgeting so there was also more to give to her parent’s church. John didn’t know, which was okay. Mary had been budgeting well for years so she always had something to give when there was a need.

When John went to Church he heard: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.” (John 10:10) and believed if God loves him then he wants him to have more. Mary understood that Jesus knows everyone, and that the thief are false prophets who will take you away from Jesus. That having it to the full is the fullness of life with him.

For Easter John saw the Easter egg hunt the Church put on, everyone in new dresses, kids playing, and much food. The next week, while John was out of town Mary went to her parents’ church and prayed for souls to reach heaven. Her parents prayed for their parents’ soul. Mary remembered someone from her youth and heard he had cancer and died recently. Even though he was a trouble maker and had gone to jail, she prayed for his soul during the prays after the service. She felt the cancer was punishment enough.

When it was election season, John heard the Pastor talk about what issues were important, which candidates supported those issues, and to get involved. John had Mary give a bit extra to the Church and called the Pastor to support the candidates that supported the correct issues. Mary heard from her parents’ church the importance of leadership and what values does a leader hold close to their heart.

In Church John heard: “You do not have because you do not ask, said James. Even though there is no limit to God’s goodness, if you didn’t ask him for a blessing yesterday, you didn’t get all that you were supposed to have.” Mary understood that “You ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions” (all from James 4 various versus) Praying with selfish motives can contradict God’s will so if you ask and it is not God’s will you will not receive. You can work hard and achieve success, yet in our hour of need it is God that provides and that is not always material possessions.

John asks why aren’t all Christians rich if they believe and ask? The Pastor says maybe it is not their time yet and reminds John about Job. Job had to wait, yet it paid off.  Mary understands that Jesus was never rich, and he was without sin. That what Jesus offers is more than what we ask for.

To be continued.

What??? Another story, here we go again

Every now and then I get an idea for a story. Some quirk in my brain goes off and an idea develops, and I do not know what to do with it. So, I piece meal together a story through this blog. I write on it when I am in the mood or have a thought for the story. This creates stories that have some holes in the story line. I care and maybe someday I will go back and edit with serious intent these stories to make them flow better. I actually like some of my past ideas, so I hope to do something at some point. That involves work though and work is not my middle name.

This story will not be different. I have an idea of where it ends because OMG there might be a point behind this story. The point only exists if I can get there. I hate making judgments, but if this ends the way I want, I will be making judgments on something. I will let you decide if you want to follow through to find out if I succeeded in making a point.

Before I begin a couple of side comments. For my previous post about how people interact in large activities. The people who have a full cup of beer and decide they are going to walk down the stairs is also amusing. Soft drinks always have a lid on them when sold by the vendors. Beer, however, no and that makes for some interesting visuals as people try to maneuver down the steps trying not to spill. Even more fun if they have two. For the life of me, I cannot figure out why they don’t just take a large sip or two before heading down, especially with two. The second beer is usually for a date, so it should be cool to take the sip. More gets spilt walking down the steps trying not to spill than the possible amount sipped.

And if you know of some, my bank account could use some vitamins. Shoot, we have a cabinet full of vitamins that is suppose to keep us healthy. One for the bank account would be great.

Here we go

John is a good guy. At least he thinks he is and John is happy. He found the girl that wants to be a stay at home Mom, understands he is the man of the house so he decided he would marry her. He asked. She said yes.

John wants to be successful, so he works hard. He knows he can be a good provider for his wife and kids. He is very excited. Mary, the girl he is going to marry wants to get married in a church. She feels it is important, however, neither of them attends church. Mary thinks attending church will help raise good children. John and Mary start asking around and eventually John finds a church some of his co-workers attend. It is a non-denominational church, yet had Protestant roots, so this isn’t an issue for Mary. John and Mary start attending the church and soon meet the Pastor. The Pastor is young, and the church is successful, so both feel this will be a good church for them. The Pastor encourages them to attend marriage seminars he hosts through the Church for preparation. They pay the fees and attend. John goes and spends his time on his phone whenever he can reading through his work emails. He feels this is more important for Mary and he cannot let anything slip by, if he wants to stay ahead of the competition.

John works hard to save up for their marriage. Mary’s Dad pays for the wedding. Mary’s family is of modest means, so the wedding is nice, but not the wedding John thought they should have had. He doesn’t complain. He, however, is not impressed with his future Father-in-law. He feels the man should have been prepared for this moment.

The Wedding day comes. John finds the message in the wedding very good. This is what it should be, he thinks during the wedding. The Pastor talks about how God rewards you for your efforts. The marriage is a good foundation to find God’s reward. John likes his Pastor.

The Pastor quotes Luke 6:38 “Give and it will be given to you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will they give into your bosom. For with the same measure you measure it will be measured back to you.” The Pastor explains, how giving to God means it will be given back to you tenfold. Mary’s Dad remembers it differently from his childhood teachings, wasn’t this more about forgiveness he thinks than reward. He thinks maybe he should go back to Church to better understand what his daughter is learning. Mary’s Mom silently cries with tears of joy for her daughter, hoping she is as happy with John as she is as happy with her husband.

The Pastor finishes the wedding speech. He exalts the couple to strive to be successful, to be bountiful and to give to God so blessings will rain down on them.

John and Mary attend the reception, eat well with family and friends, then begin their journey as a married couple. The spend a week at a beach side hotel in Florida. John budgets the honeymoon and Mary does a good job of following through. John feels he made a good decision in marrying Mary.

They come home to the apartment they will share. John tells Mary how they are going to save to buy a house within the year. He tells her he must work hard so they can add to the savings he already has to borrow as less as possible. The next year John works 70 hours a week and the only real time they spend together is at Church. John likes the Pastor and what he says. John gives generously. The first year of the marriage comes to an end. They have a wonderful anniversary dinner. John feels Mary deserves one because she has worked part time till they have children to help save for the house. The first Saturday after the anniversary they begin house hunting. This is a joyous time for Mary because John is very involved in the process. They look at many houses. They both have certain goals in mind for their house and thankfully they want much of the same. John and Mary both want a large kitchen with space for a table along with a separate dining room. Mary knows with children there will be times they need to eat something quick so loves having the convenience of an eating table in the kitchen and a separate dining room for special occasions. John wants a large dining room because it looks prestigious.  They never discussed why they wanted what they wanted. It just worked out they had similar ideas. It never occurred to them to understand the reasons the other had.

The house hunting went on for a few months. Finally, they found one they both liked. Actually, John loved it and Mary was satisfied with it. They made the offer. And within a month they were moving in. Once they moved in, John stayed busy at work and was climbing up the infamous corporate ladder.  

Two months after they bought the house, Mary became pregnant. John worked even harder and the only time they spent together was in Church. John really liked the way the Pastor reaffirmed what he was doing in his life. Mary felt something was missing and when John would go out of town for business she attended Church with her parents. Her parents loved having her over and now especially with a grandchild they were even more happy. The weekends with her parents went well and at times she would volunteer at their Church. When John was home, she attended Church with him and was happy he enjoyed it. She felt good he attended Church as much as possible.

To be continued.

People amaze me

It is amazing to watch people at sporting events, concerts, amusement parks, just about anywhere where there is a crowd. They just don’t pay attention to what they are doing.

How many times have you seen someone following too closely behind someone with a full beer or something and boom the person in front stops and wham spilt beer on everyone? People are always in such a hurry they have no idea what is in front of them or just don’t seem to care.

You will watch someone run up the steps at an arena or stadium never once looking at the top of the stairs. And then you have the people standing and talking right at the top of the stairs, not realizing people are coming and going. Boom person running up stairs doesn’t look up till last step and people standing there oblivious and there is a wonderful explosion of food and drinks going everywhere.

People going around corners too quickly, same thing. Don’t cut through expecting no one to be on the other side. Or,… well, …you will be eating their popcorn. And people never seem to realize there is another person on the other side of a curtain in a theatre. And that is usually the wine crowd and they are always so put off like it wasn’t their fault. Uh, yes, you decided to go through the middle of the curtain without looking or slowing down so, it is your fault. Red wine decorates white blouses so well.

Now I know most people do not fit into this description, yet enough do that it amazes me. And each time the person that is at fault is so annoyed. You can always tell the people who think the world revolves around them. Maddeningly funny, but unfortunate for the innocent bystander who was just trying to ask directions to their section or something.

People look up and slow down. If you are running late, don’t inconvenience everyone else because you have no respect for others or are unaware of your surroundings.

Anyway I had to get this off my chest. This is one of those stupid things that bug me to death, yet I know better and should let it go. Hopefully posting it, will exercise this from my brain.

Spring seems late getting started this year, so hunker down everyone, it is coming.

And somewhere in the back of my brain I have more ideas for campaign reform. As you know, we are way past due for some changes. Here are a couple of more ideas.

I already mentioned shortening the time frame for elections and getting rid of Citizens United and making donations transparent. I think reform of the parties is next. The people who do support the individual parties need more say in who is chosen to run. It seems way too much is decided at the National level. Much more needs to be worked on at the local level. And the parties should have limits on how much money they receive in donations.  My brain is still bantering around some more ideas, hopefully I can piece all this together into one succinct post. Hopefully ha ha ha

Have a great week everyone