A HEATHEN AMONG CATHOLICS

Good morning. ☕️🍂🍃 

*Please forgive the grammatical errors as well as discrepancies with dates and times. EXAMPLE: I previously wrote I was married in 2002. I met my ex-husband in 2002. We married the following summer 2003 in Las Vegas. I've always been terrible remembering birthdays and dates. If I don't write down names, numbers, and anniversaries, it all becomes a blur 20 years later. Oh heck, 2 months later.

Who thinks AG Pam Bondi is going to jail in 2029 for obstruction of justice, conspiracy, and perjury, at the very least? Show of hands.✋🏼

I will never understand why women still allow themselves to be used and abused in 2025. Pam Bondi is a red shirt. Star Trek reference. IFYKYK.  

Trump is a Godless man.

(sigh)

Just heard the news. Last night, my friend's ex-husband was struck down in Alabama by a truck as he crossed the street. It's being reported he didn't use the crosswalk. Instead he just randomly crossed the street up the road from the crosswalk right in front of an oncoming truck. He was mowed down by the truck and then air lifted to a nearby hospital in critical condition. I sent my friend a prayer even though her ex was not a good man. He mentally and emotionally abused my friend for years. And while my friend is, in my opinion, largely to blame for staying in the toxic marriage for as long as she did, this was not a good man nonetheless. Catholics want you to stay in marriages literally until death do you part. I disagree of course. I think the moment it feels like one of you will end up on Dateline, it's time to go. I am myself divorced one time. Do I wish my friend's ex harm, no, never. It just doesn't surprise me this happened to him. And while I am proud of my friend for finally leaving him, this is why I have a hard time working with women at the mission. 

I donate to the women's quad at the mission silently, behind closed doors, not in person. Per my agreement with the Catholic mission, I don't interfere with how the mission operates. The protestant that I am, the grandma gene in me would find it very difficult to not lecture women who have five children by five different men by the age of 24 - my goodness. After the second time and second pregnancy, she should have at the very least gotten free birth control afterwards at a women's clinic, and if that wasn't available she could have just said NO, or not put herself in the presence of men who want to use her for sex. But I'm not allowed to say that. So I don't. Catholics and their anti-birth control stance. It is very difficult for me to aid women who want advice and help but only take the help and ignore the advice. Let me be loud and clear, I do not want to raise your children. I love children but my tax dollars are better spent on teaching sex education, and free birth control preventing pregnancy, rather than dealing with the consequences of (oh so many) poorly made choices. All of my political and religious stances include the fact I do not want to raise your children. I also don't want my tax dollars to house prison inmates for the rest of their lives who were convicted and sentenced to life behind bars at the age of 21, but that's a different blog entirely. Please do not create unwanted children. Please do not create children if you cannot afford them financially, emotionally, and/or mentally. Women are 100% responsible for their reproductive organs. "But it takes two!" And to that I say, only after she puts herself in that consensual position. Do not put yourself in that consensual position. Actions have consequences. Someone at the mission needs to remind women of this, repeatedly, but I'm not allowed to. I'm not allowed to interfere or preach my "protestant birth control demon talk" therefor I donate from afar. Respectfully.

AND ANOTHER THING

I will preach this with my dying breath, marital counseling BEFORE getting married. Why, because a third party not blinded by love will ask the couple tough love questions like:

"Why do you want to get married."

"What do you expect from marriage."

"Do you want children."

"What religion if any will your children have."

"What are your ideas about divorce."

"How will you resolve arguments that may seem to have no resolve."

(Etc.)

Marital counseling BEFORE walking down the isle together is a great way to avoid being a future episode of Snapped, or Forensic Files, or Dateline, or 48 Hours, or a fatality on the 5 o'clock news, or...

I'm not saying sex is evil or "bad", I'm just saying when the result of sex creates a child you can't afford, repeatedly, or marriage that shouldn't be, or gives you a disease you can never get rid of, perhaps it's time to get some hobbies. Maybe learn a new skill. 

And fellas, it's perfectly fine to be alone when you need to work on you. Be alone. Work on you. Figure yourself out.

Meanwhile, I'd like to figure out what happened to my Amazon order of jewelry bags. I have a small budget this month to make beaded bracelets with words of hope and encouragement as gifts to be handed out during the Christmas day luncheon. The Amazon order was supposed to be delivered yesterday, the 17th, then it was supposed to come today, but so far nothing, not even so much as an estimated bracket of time for delivery and it's already 4:01pm. Yay "next day" Prime! *It's now the 21st. The bags were supposed to be delivered on the 17th. And all Amazon keeps saying is:

Fantastic. 

Anyway.

Yesterday, I went to the CVS minute clinic. My ears were bugging me when I laid my head down. Particularly my right ear. I saw the physician who informed me it wasn't an infection thank goodness but I did have some impacted wax (no doubt from my ear buds) that needed to come out. He said he wouldn't charge me for the visit if I wanted to do it myself but I asked him to flush my ears out which he did for $101. That's $401 in California money. Ever have someone flush your ears out? This was my second time having someone flush out my ears and it was disgusting. Human ear wax is disgusting.  

So anyway...

I've been battling some kind of cold-thing for about 4 days now. 

everywhere I went yesterday people were sick. "It's that time of year" they say which is odd for me to hear in Minnesota considering I never got sick as a kid - not as a kid, teenager, or 20 year old. I just never got sick. It was rare for young people to get sick back in the day. We humans have become weak. I'm old now. It's natural for old people to get sick. Young people however, I don't understand it. Then again, it's the city. Who knows what funky diseases are floating around here. I grew up in a town not far removed from a Mennonite colony. Still, I go outside to not get worse and open my window for fresh air. I'm from that generation surrounded by old country Germans who believe many illnesses can be tempered with fresh air. I still believe it. We humans need fresh air even if it's 10 degrees out. When we were children we went outside to play every day for at least an hour even if it was below zero degrees out. 

       

Me. That's me. If people insist on cranking on the heat above 65⁰ (🙄) I'm turning on the fan. 

On my way to the mission to drop off Christmas decorations made for the mission. The church decided on these winterland colors:

While on my way to drop off the Christmas decorations, my Uber passed a one-car-per-green-light getting onto the freeway. On a wall beside the freeway someone graffiti the words, "children are being murdered by Israelis with your tax dollars" and I immediately thought, Hamas murdered children that Palestine actually voted into power (in 2006) so who are the villains now? Its so easy pointing fingers at the other guy but look in the mirror first before throwing accusations around. 

Imagine presidents fighting their own fights. Right?! 💔

AMEN. I accept our differences but we protestants and Catholics should never stop trying to work together. 

After dropping the baby blankets I had knit all year to the Linus Project, I'm knitting as fast as my little fingers can go to help keep people warm this winter. I'm grateful to all who accept hand knit donations. Thank you! Currently working on my next scarf. Then I'll make some hats and mittens.

In my opinion, regarding charity, doing is better than money. Wait, let me explain. If you don't have time to DO something, money is always welcome, HOWEVER, if I don't receive an itemized receipt of what donated money in my county went to that month, then how do I know those monetary donations aren't in someone's pocket? *cough*Yaknowliketaxes*cough* 

If you say, "Lisa, we could really use a frozen turkey." I would much rather get two or three frozen turkeys for unhoused cafeterias than putting $3 per solicitated email into some rando charity account operated by who knows who, going who knows where. "But the money is going to purchase turkeys for Thanksgiving." Look, I WILL BUY YOU TURKEYS. If you can Amazon wishlist needs for people staying at the shelter, although good luck getting your Amazon delivery apparently, you can tell your donators what you need to stock the cafeteria. Don't you get a sufficient tax write-off with the property? Do churches even pay tax on... anything? 

I don't know. I'm not an accountant or a tax lawyer. Whatever. I will buy you turkeys if that's what your mission needs.   

When money was tight, I have on occasion over the years asked friends to donate yarn so I could keep knitting and donating. Something like a Michael's (craft store) gift card or straight up yarn. Knitting, what little my hands can do following my stroke/s, is something I must do. I must knit. I just love doing it and I love someone snuggling in my blanket or hat or scarf. I have no idea who gets my knits after I hand them off to the church or places like the Linus Project, but each knit is made with love. Whoever is cuddled in my knitting I want them to feel wrapped in loved. You are loved. Grandma loves you! 

It still seems difficult for people born before and after my Gen X generation to understand that as children we really were on our own pretty much from the time we could walk out the front door. The moment we got bicycles we were outta there! 10 year old nomads. Wildlings. Especially where I grew up. My childhood town back then was all flat land prairie with lakes, creeks, trees, wilderness, farms, wild animals, etc. It was beautiful.

I didn't realize how creepy and haunting people outside where I grew up actually think my home town is/was. To me it was, and still is, beautiful. Miles of abandoned cornfields, generations old farm houses and barns, dark blue grey winter skies, narrow dirt roads that went nowhere in particular, and shadows that never disappeared even after the sun went down. I love winter. As I enter my first full winter since 2003/2004, Jackie & Shadow's nest at Big Bear Lake, CA, reminds me of home. This my third season with these gorgeous bald eagles. They've already been seen nesting, bringing leaves and branches to the nest in recent days, and mating. I love them so much. Fingers crossed for more viable eggs this year.🤞🏼     

I love fog and snow on dark winter colors. I'm sure to be nostalgic with the upcoming winter months. I'm grateful to be back in my childhood home. 

I pray Thee, Thou God of mercy and grace, be Thou ever our faithful God, though we may have been negligent and thankless, not walking so carefully as we should. Be kind, comforting, gracious, and merciful towards us; reward us not according to our iniquities, but cleanse our heart and conscience by Thy word, that we may serve Thee in sorrow and in joy, and render unto Thee thanks, honor, and praise in time and eternity. -- Amen.

Oh hey. Update on my Amazon delivery that was supposed to arrive overnight on the 17th with Prime:

Oh dear.

Okay Bye!

GODLESS to GOD

Good morning! ☕️🍂🍃 

*Please forgive the grammatical errors, boys and girls. You kids are far more text savvy blogging in your autumn mittens.

I dinged my index finger so Imma tapping one key at a time with my middle finger. 

I write these blogs over the course of days, sometimes weeks, longer when half your fingernail snaps off opening your storage locker. Luckily I had ONE band aid left on me from my days working in the kitchen. I recently restocked. I know me. I need band aids on me at all times. 

And hey, did someone send me love from above? 🫶

A few days later new skin grew over the exposed tender flesh where the nail once was, thankfully, because if you've never experienced what it's like to have a toe or fingernail rip off, let's just say you come to appreciate the value of a toe or fingernail as you will bump the raw tender exposed flesh on EVERYTHING every thirty seconds of every freakin' day. 

There's a lot of jumping around on here as per usual but if you can follow a Tarantino film, you got this.

ALSO

I would just like to say, if you're an adult human being, how are you still in bed at 7:38am? How do you not have things to do? Walk your dog. Feed your family breakfast. How did your bladder not wake you up for the third time by 5am? Sunday, a day of rest, I still have a ton of things to do, every day really, a ton of things. This is why I refuse to clean up after a man ever again. I've got enough on my plate as it is. A teenager in bed until noon, sure, an adult, no. If you're not a drunk or a drug addict how are you still in bed at 8am? Granted, I naturally wake up at 4am. I have my tea, listen to the news, play my phone app game, knit, eat breakfast, wash dishes, take out the trash, tidy up, wash my face, etc., and when my phone finishes charging I'm headed to the laundry mat down the street. Even when I was in my 30's and 40's, sleeping in was 8am but only if I didn't go to bed until 2am. In part you know what I think it is, time is running out. I feel it. Our generation, GEN X, our time is running out. News of someone dying doesn't just touch us, it taps us on the shoulder. Know what I mean. 

A friend of mine, 14 years older than me, died three years ago now, used to tell me his morning routine of scooping the cat litter, feeding the cat, washing up, drinking his first two cups of coffee and running out the door to work, all within an hour. And I would ask him, "Wouldn't it be better to wake up an extra hour earlier and have some time for yourself? Eat a little breakfast, even if it's just a toasted bagel and cream cheese." And he would get so mad at me for suggesting it. "I don't have time, Lisa!" He'd scold. I learned from my travels and talking to people from other countries that taking care of yourself FIRST every morning helps you deal with whatever life throws at you even if that means waking up at 4am. I grew up in a German neighborhood. Most of Minnesota was German until the 80's. We all grew up speaking a form of German. It was an elective language taught to us in high school. Back then adults always woke up early just to have their "me time" before starting the day. Because at the end of the day, after dinner and dishes, etc., you're going to be no more tired than if you woke up an hour earlier than usual just to have that private "me time" - drink your coffee, eat your avocado toast, do the crossword puzzle, whatever, and then start the madness of your day. I'm told repeatedly that women from other countries always get up an hour or two early just to take care of themselves FIRST before anyone else. They make themselves whatever breakfast they want to eat, spend 20 to 30 minutes on a hobby (like knitting) etc., and then deal with the rest of the world. And for them it's worth getting up an hour earlier because at the end of the day they're no more tired. So yes, I get up before the sun. The whole "lets spend the day in bed" is nonsense. How boring. I got things to do. Even when I'm sick I don't want to spend the day in bed.          

Anyway.

Here we go.

At this rate, after Trump, it's going to be a Democrat in the White House next 8 years at least. Cutting off SNAP/EBT is THE WORST political move EVER. Starving the American people is not only CRUEL and monstrous, it's political party suicide. Trump and all his minions are Godless. 

I need a moment. 

Breath. 

Autumn in Minnesota. 

Love this time of year. 🍂 ✨️  

Thank for not releasing the hounds, Mr. Smithers. 😏

As we enter my third month back home in Minnesota, I observe the difference between actual Minnesotans like myself and the outsiders who moved here. I'm not talking about Somalians, fact is, I've seen and met very few Somalians and the ones I did meet were at their place of employment and all were very professional and super-duper nice. No, I'm talking about the outsiders, the takers, the creepers, the thieves and destroyers of wildlife, people who don't even like wildlife but move here anyway. How (WHY) did you move to Minnesota when you don't like wildlife? Minnesota is wildlife. Move back to wherever you came from. Leave. Git! We don't want your state or country's debris either. The good thing is, city will always be city. Riff-raff will always stay in the city here with the riff-raff. As a kid growing up in my hometown we never went into the twin cities. Why would we? We had everything we wanted right in our small home town. On occasion outsiders tried to move in to the towns but they always got hustled out within a week. Small towns where every house has guns and very little to no law enforcement, can be a scary place for outsiders trying to kill our wildlife.

This past month of October into November is the most I ever spent in Minneapolis and I can't leave here fast enough. Minneapolis is one of those cities that has absolutely gorgeous historic architecture - alas, highly questionable people mill about it every day with zero ambition to do anything else but loiter. They don't even try to better their lives. Zombies. Got nothing. Do nothing. Nowhere to be. Become nothing. This is why we need our missions. We need to help the people who want to better their lives and are willing to do the work so they don't get caught up in riff-raff.  

I move next month into a nice suburb. Sure, it's 4K a month all inclusive to live in but that's what keeps the riff-raff out. Unlike Beverly Hills and Bel Air, California, where the riff-raff still invades those cities like cockroaches every day, places like Edina and Eden Prarie, the men there will just shoot the riff-raff and drag their bodies off into the woods. I don't condone violence but sometimes I do understand it. 

I have an outdoor patio which is lovely. I can have my morning tea outside with a squirrel charcuterie board. Gotta keep those little fellers fat in the winter. "Just a small town girl..."

I came back to Minnesota to re-root. I had an Uber driver the other day, Paul, my age (he said he was 60) also bred in Minnesota like me, and we agreed it would be nice to see each other again. It was nice chatting with him. I felt like I was home. I came back for men like you, Paul. Men who get where I'm coming from. God bless you!

And since I have my own patio at the Edina place, maybe I'll get a dog. The building is pet friendly. I haven't had dogs since I was a kid. Big beautiful German Shephard (Brook) and a big beautiful black Lab/Dobie mix (Duchess). I haven't thought about them in a long time. Great dogs. High energy. Loyal. Fierce. Protective. Full of love. Dogs need so much however. I've only had cats since them. Well, we'll see. 

I'm done with Airbnb. I'm going back to hotels and corporate housing until I get remarried. I don't want to commit to anything like a lease because I do plan to remarry. Part of my coming back to Minnesota is to find my next husband. He'll have a house. I'm finding Airbnb hosts are using the app for personal reasons rather than business - like the drunk woman who wanted a friend and kept texting me after I checked out. Good grief, lady. We're not friends. It's a business. "Do you need anything?" No thanks. And that's the end of the conversation, dig?

My next husband doesn't have to be a Christian but I do insist he be a man with God. A man who believes in God. He doesn't have to believe Christ/God or the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, but he does have to have God in his life. You can believe in the big bang theory, I do, but who do you suppose created that. A Godless man will only commit injury to all around him including his wife. Look at Donald Trump. Look at all the injury that Godless man commits to his family and the American people every day. 

Men of no God have a hole in their hearts that will never be filled. A man of no God will use people to make himself feel momentarily better at any cost to them. 

As a Stoic, raised a Stoic, as a Christian, raised a Christian, I would encourage people not to marry until their heart is full, complete. If you have a hole in your heart only God will know how to fix it. Pray. Ask for guidance. You will receive it. 

A Godless man will use his wife to get the attention of other women. He will turn his wife into a whore for his entertainment. That is what a Godless man does. 

Marriage is loyalty first to your spouse. No extra marital relations. No gaslighting. Men are lucky to be married in 2025. There's a huge male loneliness epidemic going on right now. Just because you found one subservient woman to marry you, bow down to you, don't mean there's more out there. There's not, trust me. They're all married. Women who are single, like me, with our own life and money, don't need a man. Meh.   

I married a Swede back in 2002 and that was a HUGE mistake. What could we possibly have in common. Nothing. That's the answer. We had nothing in common. We both made money and had we stuck to the marital plan we both could have retired at 50. That was our plan. That's what we had in common, money and early retirement. What was I thinking. After a few years I saw the writing on the wall, but I was in my 30's and being harassed by friends and family to finally get married and stay married, so I got married to the next guy who came along which was the Swede. Him in the medical business, me as a restaurant manager, we made 130K jointly in 2002. Not a bad chunk of change back then. No kids. No outstanding debts. Alas, he was a man with no God. He choose to live in sin after we got married, boozing and cheating. No thanks. I bailed out. I took my body, my money, my self respect and left. 

And look, Unless a fella is lumberjack and/or a forest ranger of some kind, I'm not remotely interested. And even then, he would have to be a another pure bred Minnesotan like me in my age bracket. I'm not the only divorced Minnesotan out there. I'm confident I'll be remarried in 2026.

Most important, I have my own money. That's everything for a woman's independence, money. Women with no money, who refuse to make her own money, they unfortunately too often succumb to being owned by a man without God. I volunteer at the mission. I see what life is like for those women 20 years down the road after they been chucked aside for a younger woman, or abandoned all together with four kids. It's a hard life for them. After the parents die, a hard luck woman can only hope her kids will support her, or that missions like the one I'm associated with still exist. If a woman truly wants to get out of the hole put herself into, she has to do the work. And let me ask you gals, can you look at your husband right now and with confidence say to God, "He loves me. He respects me. He would never cheat on me. He appreciates me. He's not looking to replace me. He wants to grow old with me and no one else." Well, can you?  

It's a tough road out there these days. I'm thankful for what I have. I thank God every day, many times a day, for providing. I know how hard it is for people who have no family or divorce money. 

My old landlord from ten years ago had the most fascinating life story. He grew up so poor in the Ozarks his dad would kill a deer or whatever animal he could kill, and after skinning the hide and cutting up the animal meat, his mom would salt the meat for storage, and that's what they lived on until his dad's next kill. This landlord grew up so poor he dug ditches for change. Actual quarters. But God smiled kindly on him. One boss on a construction site would teach him something, another boss would teach him something else, and then another, and then another, until he had a full skillset on constructing houses, and from there he went on to build houses, purchase houses, purchase land, and twenty years later he owned a dozen properties throughout Los Angeles. He became another millionaire in California. Of course, all that happened in the 80's, 90's, and 2000's when everyone had money to rent and buy homes. No one has that kind of now in 2025 starting from scratch. However, he screwed it all up. He took himself down. He thought he could have anything he wanted after becoming a millionaire. People who grew up poor like him have no idea how to live in society. They have no idea how to handle money. They think they can buy their way out of trouble when they get money, and sometimes they can, until they can't. This man brought upon himself all those legal woes because he felt he could do anything he wanted after becoming wealthy. In the end he died alone. His three kids and their children barely waited for the old man to die before plucking every last dollar off him. How sad. Same old story though, eh? 

At 57 years of age (in January) I just want a cabin in the woods, perhaps a little farm, some corn, an old man sitting in a rocker beside my rocker feeding the squirrels. What bliss.  

        

In my current rental, on occasion I get visits from squirrels, birds, and one time a very stubborn bee who, sorry buzzy, finally got the hint and left after I hustled it's black and yellow fuzzy butt back out the window. I then started making this wildlife charcuterie board when I have the window open because there's no screen and I feel it's kinda rude to not put anything out if I'm going to have the window open. That's just how I was raised in the Minnesota prairie circa 1979. God's land. Not man's.

If you don't leave a charcuterie board of all natural raw fruits & nuts for the squirrels, we can't be friends. I mean we can, but you'll have to put out your own wildlife charcuterie board. 

This be some old school Minnesota wildlife hospitality right here! 🍂🍃🌰🐿

I love this man and his social media MAGA wrecking crew so very much.

Too funny.

AMEN!

Dear Usha Vance, give up your Indian culture if you want to be First Lady. Get yourself baptized and become a real Christian. Erika Kirk has no problems kicking your Hindu butt to the curb. She's got MAGA blonde ambition! Trust that. Although, you could gamble. Wait it out. Trump ain't doing the Republicans any favors by starving the American people.    

JD Vance's lewd behavior on stage with Erika Kirk in front of his wife was Usha's silent nudge out the door because if there's one thing a young woman like Erika will pride herself on it's showing her dominance over anyone's (soon to be) ex-wife. Sure, Usha could stand her ground, stand by her man, but she's not looking so hot if that photo is current. How bad does Usha want to be First Lady? She's gotta want it bad. You know Erika Kirk wants it super bad. Add to that, no white Christian nationalist will have an Indian Hindu as First Lady. I'm not saying it's right or wrong, I'm just saying.

And look, myself a Christian, a protestant baptized Catholic as a baby, not my fault I had no say, nonetheless, as a Christian I WANT my president and First Lady to bow their heads, give thanks, and seek guidance from God at the National Prayer Breakfast. I want them to be grateful. I want all America's leaders to bow their heads and give thanks. I don't know if this new foundation has the same pull as the Fellowship Foundation, and even though I had some issues with that past foundation, regardless I want my president and First Lady to thank God. You're just a man, sir. Just a man. Put your faith in God, not man.    

AND

Here's the thing, I don't think the core of Charlie Kirk was bad. Wait, hear me out. I don't think the core of Ben Shapiro is bad. I actually like Ben Shapiro, to a point. Have they both said things I disagree with, of course. Do/did they both support a political party with that muttering orange turnip as it's leader, yes. Do I find that utterly disappointing, absolutely. I find that disappointing because they're both way too smart to back such a total complete imbecile. Charlie Kirk was way too smart, likewise Ben Shapiro is way too smart to be party-blind and obedient to such an imbecile. And I get it's all showy-showbiz, but c'mon. You're too smart, Mr. Shapiro. 

*Calling Trump a turnip is an insult to turnips. I apologize to all turnips and turnip farmers everywhere. Trump's a total complete greedy selfish imbecile, not a turnip. 

AND ANOTHER THING

Let's be perfectly clear here, MAGA is neither Republican or Christian. No real American Republican or Christian has ever separated children from their parents and put them in cages. Not in this country. No real Republican or Christian would ever purposely allow people including children and babies in America to starve. No real Republican or Christian would ever expect the military and air traffic controllers to work for FREE while congress continues to pay themselves. Know why? KNOW WHY? Because no First Lady would ever allow it - other than the useless one we current have. Assuming we still have a First Lady. I mean who knows for sure. She was MIA the first term. She's MIA in the second. Maybe it's for the best. She's an imbecile also. 

** I'm not talking about the Japanese concentration camps. As much as I hate it, it was during war time. All's fair in love and war? 

MAGA are not Republicans or Christians. They're a malevolent wonton cult in too much eye makeup.

Furthermore, being perfectly clear, I don't claim to be "perfect" by a long stretch of the imagination. God knows I have my many flaws. I'm impatient. I'm exhausted by the country's overpopulation, I still F bomb when I'm super-duper angry. I'm exhausted by the giant homeless population and crime that generally comes with it. And I'm really annoyed when people go to bed at 2am, then sleep until the following 2pm, and then complain there's nothing for them in the world while moaning GenX had it so easy. Excuse me? Maybe try getting up before the crack of noon. And yes, I never experienced a school shooting or anything remotely close to 9/11, but my generation grew up on tree bark and rainwater, eating ants and crayons, drinking hose water with our lips touching that sun scalding hot metal connector ring. Our toys left literal scars on our bodies yet we still refer to those days as "Good times!" It wasn't easy, my guy. It was what it was. And we never complained. I didn't learn how to complain until I got married. I never had anything to complain about before then. Luckily I was also raise Stoic. I fixed my problems no matter the price. 

God tests my my love for Him every single day. Testing me. Dear Lord, Heavenly Father, HOLD ME BACK, or at the very least hold my earrings! 

As we all voice our opinions on SNAP benefits being horrifically cut off by Mr. president-deflated-orange-tube-donkey, I will also agree an unregulated abusive amount of illegals DO come here solely to reap the benefits of our country's blind generosity. That said, until you (government) fix that problem, you still need to feed the American people. The American people should not suffer because no one has fixed the system. That's a YOU-government problem, not the American people problem. Don't put your woes on us the people. Do your jobs, fix the broken system and FEED THE PEOPLE. No one in this country legal or not should starve. No one. This is shameful. 

Iknowright?! 💯 

I went to Mall of America today. I thought there was a Kohl's inside the mall but no. I got my iced latte and went next door to IKEA for lunch, only they weren't serving lunch yet. Batting a thousand, kids, dontcha know. While at the mall there was a long line that wrapped around the building and heavy armed security. "What's up?" I asked security. "A new Popmart opened." He says. Pop Mart? POP MART? This line and all you heavily armed security is for a toy store? Wow.  

While I was at the mall I shot a pic of some Christmas decorations and I guess this fella thought I was taking a picture of him. 😊 

The dude next to him made a grumpy face 😠, and the man next to both of them wondered if they were both retarded because I'm clearly taking a picture of the Christmas decoration. 😆

Speaking of Christmas decorations...

I have a bunch of Christmas decoration to make for the mission. I donated my Christmas tree to the mission too since I'll be in Edina now for Christmas. I'm so excited! 

Awaken in me a heartfelt desire for the sincere milk of the word, as the newborn babes. Grant that my highest pleasure and delight may ever center in Thy word. May nothing be dearer to me in this world than Thy word; may I love it more than gold and much fine gold, ever considering it my best treasure. --Amen.

Ok bye from Minnesota!

FIRST LADY KIRK?

Good morning!

*Please forgive the grammatical errors.

And the lesson here regarding escaped Hep C monkeys is, DON'T TEST ON ANIMALS. That's the lesson. Don't test on animals. 

I think whoever rented my room before me fed this squirrel:

This adorable little fluff comes by regularly. 

It's a very Minnesota thing to do when you live among rabbits & squirrels to feed them. HOWEVER I try not to so they can forage for themselves BUT with more and more building development on God's land, foraging can be a challenge for these poor little creatures. This particular squirrel comes by at least twice a day. And since there is no screen on the window, whenever I want it open there's a chance I'll see the squirrel. Therefor, the little guy or gal can help me eat my blueberries and carrots. I never finish them in time anyway.

I have sunflower seeds and pistachio nuts too but they're lighted salted and flavored. Not good for wildlife. 

Have you seen Russell Hartley online? The things he says reminds me of my grandma. 😁 

Russell Hartley, who I believe is married, mentioned in one of his short reels that he's connected to TikTok somehow and (in part) that's how he makes his money. Joking aside, there's truth in what he says. Hartley does joke around quite a bit BUT he also says the same things my grandmother used to tell my brothers and me. 

Our dad taught my brothers young that women are expensive and if you want a woman you need a car, a house, and a stable good paying job. Its not complicated, boys. Your job is to provide. It's funny to me when men who are 40+ forget they were raised that way too. Oh how they conveniently forget that society in the 70's and 80's pushed men to be leaders, providers, American success stories, unlike today it seems where young men don't have the same motivation to be successful. Young men today are in big trouble. Ever since getting my Ring cam, story after story in the Ring cam community is a young (usually) black male stealing Amazon packages and looking into parked cars. Even in my neighborhood, I pass by the same young black males on the street who are just lurking, following people around, waiting for an opportunity to steal something, to mug someone muggable. That's why I do whatever I can to help the twin cities Catholic mission with meals and care packages, because those fellas want to get off the streets. Those fellas are helping themselves get clean, learn a trade, find a job, etc. And if that means they have to share a quad (dorm) with nine other bunk bed roomies just to have a roof over their heads, three meals a day, a shower, clean clothes, and learning annexes, plus read the Bible every day too, welp, beats living on the street, right?   

The Lutheran church tends to help women and children more with housing, childcare, raising children, etc., so, whatever I can do to help the Catholic church get these men back on their feet, I'm in. Let's go. America needs our men strong and able, not weak and hopeless. 

AND...

I mentor all young women, if a man you like insists you work outside the home, earn a paycheck outside the home, and do all the cleaning, cooking, and raising children, what on earth do you need him for? 2025 science, honey. You don't even need direct contact with a man to get pregnant. I don't encourage single women to get pregnant. I'm against it actually. But if you have the money to stay home and raise a child, good for you. Adoption is also an option. 

I said it on my last blog for ten years, I'll say it here too, I am a big believer of gender roles even if the couple consists of two women or two men. Gender roles, meaning a feminine role, and a masculine role. Feminine role runs the home, masculine role runs the country/world (meaning anything outside the home). 

If I have to tell a man to take out the trash or mow the lawn, ugh repeatedly, what's the point of having him around, to give me aggravation? No thanks. I'll mow the lawn or pay the neighbor boy to, and take out the trash my dang self, and he can go stew somewhere else most likely never considering what he did wrong. And that's just mowing the lawn and taking out the trash!  

AND ANOTHER THING 

Don't take a gal out and then complain about how much money you spent on her. Thank goodness I have my own money because if some guy took me out on a date and then complained about how much he spent, or even worse expected something at the end of the night, he might risk being one appendage short. 

You've seen theTikToks of gals recording their boyfriends/husbands on the kitchen floor literally crying like babies after being caught cheating and then told to pack up and hit the road. This is what happens when we lose our male mentors for the boys. 

Unpopular opinion: Once your son is in fourth grade he don't need his mama anymore. He needs his daddy or any educated/successful male mentor. Is there still a Big brother/Little brother program out there? Because fellas, if you have two hours every Saturday and you're available for an occasional phone call just to keep a boy doing well in high school guiding him to the next step of success afterwards, what an impact on all of society you will have made with just a little bit of your time. 

America is so ready for the next Martin Luther King JR, President John F. Kennedy, and even President Ronald Reagan. We are ready. We need those mindful articulate true American leaders. Or at the very least  better speech writers. Those guys had the speeches that moved America. 2025 I have no idea what the president or government are saying and doing anymore. Who knows. 

I want to see more women care about social issues. I'm angry the First Lady does absolutely nothing with her office. What has she done with her office? Correct me if I'm wrong. What has she done for the betterment of women,  children, the poor, the hungry, the unhoused, or anything to move this country towards social progress. 

I want to see more women be involved in volunteer work. I want to see more men care about their homes and country by being part of the solution. Marches and flyers, websites and podcasts, will not make American leaders of industry. Entertaining, yes. Leaders of industry, no. Hard work, education in a trade (an actual TRADE) and ingenuity keeps America independent and strong. Granted, I'll be dead in 20 or 30 years but I don't want to see America and Americans flailing any more than we are now. 

 

There's a scene in the movie VICE, ladies, put your foot down! Tell him to make something of himself or he can go pay for hookers, get an incurable disease, and be a big fat "ZE-RO!" for the rest of his life. Because no trad-wife will have anything less in a trad-husband than a lifetime earning financial success with shared family/social values. Simple. Tell him to straighten his back up!  

America needs to do better. Our men need to do better. Sure, we could entertain the notion that women could rule the country but what about the male population? What then would we do with the men folk? Y'all worried about Reagan nuking the world, well the orange turnip currently in OUR white house cares more about a ballroom than he does making certain we maintain dominance over dictators like Kim Jong Un, furthermore care for the American people. I worry, seriously worry, Trump will hand over America to Russia, China, or North Korea. That's a real concern. Trump is the kind of man who would start WWIII just to stay president. FYI, for a war like that, as in every world war, there's a draft. For you younger generations, historically that means all men between 18 to 65 years of age will have to register with the government for the draft lotto. If/once the majority of 18 to 45 year old men are killed or MIA in war or whatever, the government will draft-lotto the remaining 45 to 65 year old men. Remind me again, who runs the Department of Defense War? And ladies... 

Guess who takes up the slack on American soil while the fellas are fighting Trump's war, that's right, YOU. And if you think you don't make enough money now at your job, welp, let me say it this way, you know how when you were a kid your parents told you to babysit your little sister for free because she's your little sister and you love her, right? Yeah, it'll be like that if there's a war. You love America, right? Of course you do, and that's why the government will insist women working for free during wartime. Just saying. EXAMPLE: American politicians are happy to keep paying themselves while shutting down the government meanwhile forcing the country into free labor and starvation. That's what's going on right now. Monsters.

Every week things in this country just gets worse and worse and worse. Food costs, out of control. Medical costs, out of control. Unemployment rate, out of control. Jobs being gouged for the sake of saving a buck, out of control. Price of housing, out of control. Government pay themselves while the American people starve. Every week this country spirals more and more out of control. Every week. That's not an immigration problem. That's an incompetent uneducated orange jackass who don't give AF about anyone but himself - problem. And really, does that man not know by now he's orange? That's not a normal skin color. Never in my lifetime did I think I would have to actually say FEED THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. FEED YOUR PEOPLE.

We American Gen X elders survived Bush I & II. War on American soil was always a possibility with those two BUT not only is war a possibility now with Trump, I'm not the least bit confident America would be on the winning side. What happened to America's dominance? Tourism is WAY down since Trump took office not only because tourists don't want to be harassed by ICE agents but who wants to go to a country where the leader most likely wants to go to war just stay a third term in office? "Putin, good. Putin, bad. China, good, China, bad. Tariff. No tariff. Tarriff. No tarriff." Not only that, but the way Trump politically bends over for China, Russia, and North Korea on his coherent "good days" is utterly disturbing, while creating static with Canada and Venezuela. If Trump wants to tell anyone to F off, tell Putin, not Canada and Venezuela. What's wrong with this guy? If you told me Trump was selling America to the highest bidder, I would not be surprised. Maybe one of his dictator buddies want a new ballroom? Selling America sounds like it could be a chapter straight out of his book Art of the Deal. Amiright? Maybe he's building a ballroom for Putin? Who knows. After his embarrassing "Come on, grandpa, over here" behavior with Japan's new Prime Minister, anything is possible. 

Boys and girls, young people are for DOING. Old people (like me) are for advising and mentoring. No more over 70 year old geezers running for the White house. Let's make a rule, if you cannot run up the White House steps, you should not serve a term IN the white house. How about that. Cap the age limit to run for president to 65. If you're collecting social security you're too old to be president. Not sorry. If at 57 years of age I'm too old to be a waitress, at 70 you're too old to run an entire country and her people. 

Agreed, Mr. Chieng. HOWEVER...

Common sense plays a large role here too, as well as motivation and desire to succeed. If someone lacks motivation and common sense, they're not going to read or study.  

Most dogs and men are motivated the same way. "Whose a good boy? Are you a good boy? Yes, you are! Yes, you are! What a good boy! Such a good boy! Now who wants a treat?" And dogs are motivated the same way.

AND LOOK...

We all knew Usha Vance was going to take a severe political beating but did she know? There was no way the MAGA party was going to accept Usha. No way. If an affair between these two is true, it would not surprise me one bit. Marriage is marriage, but possibly being the next president of the United States 🇺🇸 or the next First Lady, is too intoxicating for these two to give Usha Vance a second thought. 

Let the slut shaming roll. Unlike the Catholic church I am pro slut shaming. 

Oh dear.

Anyway...

Last night was Halloween. This wins best costume! So cute! Thank you for posting.

Do people actually take their kids out trick or treating still? How safe is that candy I wonder. I imagine Halloween parties for kids are held at their schools. Remember when we were kids some people handed out boxes of raisins. I actually liked the raisins. Not a big candy eater. 

Because I spend time at the mission and I take the metro, twice last week I started to feel funky. I had a flu shot in LA before coming out to MN but this isn't that. I'm going to move closer to the mission once my current room rental Eexpires in January. I want to spend more time being useful there. Herd immunity. I'll get used to the environment. 

For the first time ever I had to buy a Ring cam for my room rental. People just can't help themselves. They have to be nosy. I'm done with airbnb also. When I travel I'm going to stay in hotels. Its cheaper and no one gets in your business. I'm so tired of people going through my stuff. Like what are you looking for? My old lady cotten underwear? Plus, I started getting heart burn after I ate for like a week. Weird. Like someone was messing with my food. Now that I got the Ring cam my food is fine. No more heartburn. Hmm. This is the world we live in. Cameras. Can't trust anyone anymore. Oh well. Cheaper to eat out anyway. I found a great Greek restaurant, and pizza shop with tasty calzones, nearby. Finding food remotely close to the food I grew up with is super difficult in this neighborhood. My how times have changed. Where are the German and Swedish restaurants? Where are the steak and potatoes? This is still Minnesota, eh? How many Thai restaurants does one street need? Amiright? That's my only gripe. You do you, but Minnesota still needs it's hearty meat and potatoes take out. Believe it or not, there still exist Minnesotans in Minnesota. 

As I was saying, I advise everyone who stays in airbnb these days to get a Ring cam for your protection. If the home owner objects they're 💯 shady. Just go back to staying in hotels. Besides, you could stay at the Hilton or Four Seasons for the same amount of money pretty much. Off topic, I'm suddenly craving a Margherita pizza. 

Now that I've been wearing my cross again my Hashimoto's flair up has "coincidentally" gone away. I don't believe in coincidences. I do believe in faith, prayer, and mind over matter. Thank you, God, for taking care of me. 

I'll let Pope Leo XIV take us out. 

 OK bye!