Good morning!
*Please forgive the grammatical errors.
How exciting, Sunny, the older Big Bear (CA) eaglet fledged on June 2, and then the next day she came back to the nest. Hunting your own food is hard, girl! I'm taking lessons from mom & dad eagles Jackie and Shadow. If grocery prices go up any more I'm buying a fishing rod to catch my own fish right along with these eagles. So yes, as bitter-sweet as it was seeing Sunny fly off, it was nice seeing her return. Sometimes eagles return to the nest after fledging, sometimes they don't. I've never been this invested in eagles before but you know, with all the unnecessary madness and chaos in the world brought on by men who won't fight their own battles especially in America, as an American I'm now emotionally invested in our country's bird. They give me hope. (No pressure!)
I think back to my earliest memories (around three years old I guess) to when I was 20 years old (because after that I was a drug and alcohol fueled mess for about ten years) but during my former years I remember how life was easy enough where I grew up, small town Minnesota, that my friends and I would stay out from sunrise to sundown and hours beyond, on our own, zero supervision outside of school and church, fending for ourselves most of the time. If your finger falls off it's staying off. I used to hitchhike, climb trees, jump fences, hop on trains, and sleep in the woods with just a sleeping bag without a second thought, no never mind. I could be miles and miles from home with nothing to eat and no water, not giving it a second thought. If I wanted something I would simply get it, was my mentality. Nothing had hurt me or my friends at this time to give us a second thought about anything any adult today would deem a hazard. I wish kids today knew that kind of freedom. The only hazard in my childhood was my brothers' mom who suffered several undiagnosed mental illnesses and everyone just left her to be crazy, like the portrayal of (child) Helen Keller in 1962 film The Miracle Worker before Anne Sullivan arrived. Only, no help arrived for my brothers' mom. She actually died, alone, mentally ill in a hospital in 2023. Sad as that sounds, if you knew her for one minute you would understand how only a court order could help her. Still, the 70's and 80's, maybe parts of the 90's, were probably the last decades of childhood innocence. I wouldn't let any child of mine out of my sight for a second in 2025.
Women like Senator Joni Ernst remind me of my brothers' mentally ill mother. These poor women live in their own la-la immature fairytale make-believe worlds. I suspect women who share her make-believe mentality are all still psychologically eight years old, not a thread of real world understanding in 2025. No grasp of reality with these types of women. It's a form of mental illness. Could be schizophrenia or any derealization disorder no matter how mild or severe. How else do you explain someone being so out of touch with reality. Add to that, to not have any empathy for other human beings is also a danger to society. She could have borderline personality disorder. I hope there aren't any clocktowers in her neighborhood. I 100% could see her climbing up there some day with an automatic and just take out people as they pass by. You know, I'm willing to bet, because Senator Joni Ernst says these crazy things in front of the camera so often, her husband and/or children could probably have her committed for a very long time if they wanted. In fact, EXAMPLE: My brothers and I spoke on our dad's behalf to get our dad's 20-something year marriage to his crazy first wife annulled when he converted to Catholicism. Even though that makes my brothers technically illegitimate now in the eyes of the church, we all nonetheless testified to the Catholic tribunal against my brothers' mom on our dad's behalf when he converted. It's not that hard to get the Catholic church to annul a marriage these days, especially when all three kids testified against the wife. Dad got his annulment. He wanted to remarry in the Catholic church to his second wife and in order to do that, his first marriage had to be annulled. And these politicians, God bless them, seemingly have no idea what cameras do, because they continue to represent themselves in such a horrible way in front of cameras, how could their sanity not come into question? I mean, how long has Joni Ernst said nutty things in front of the camera? Does anyone know what the heck Ernst was talking about when she rando filmed herself saying something totally weird about the tooth fairy? If she was some scatterbrained actress I wouldn't give Ernst a second thought but she's a politician. Oh dear. Children, don't be shy to 5150 your own mom. It could save her life someday, or yours. Seriously.
Anyway,
Yesterday I went to visit Sheldon's grave finally. He's been gone two years now, not one (has it really been two years already) I miswrote that my brothers mom and Sheldon died last year, wow no, they died two years ago. He was buried on a beautiful hill. Gorgeous view. It was weird sitting on his gravesite. He was below me presumably twelve feet below me, a rotting corpse. Weird. I don't get the whole returning to the earth thing in full body form, in a casket. I'm pro-cremation, and then returned to the earth. But I got a chance to say goodbye to him. I should have gone sooner but the cemetery is high on a steep hill and not easy for a pedestrian to walk to, which I am, especially with my foot still healing. Luckily a nice security guard offered to drive me up the hill to Sheldon's grave. Walking down the hill was easy. My foot is still giving me a little grief although I was able to not use the boot yesterday. If I was going anywhere today I would use the boot. What I miss most about Sheldon is all the giggly fun we had together. We were besties from like 1992 or '93 until 2020. Over 25 years. Aside, from my husband he was my best friend. But then around 2017, after I moved to Las Vegas, he just got angry - again. The first time being when I met my husband and got married. My ex-husband and Sheldon did not get along, but I cannot not go on with my life because my friends don't want me to have a life outside of them, know what I'm saying. Still, Sheldon was super fun for an old man. We went to rock concerts, went out to eat everywhere, traveled together, we just had a lot of fun. If only he was my age we would have had more time together. This is why being with someone, especially a potential mate, your age is so important. You want someone who is going through the same things as you are when you are. Being 56 and changing careers is miserable enough starting from scratch, learning a new industry and all the technology that goes with it, imagine being with someone older than you by more than ten years and then they die before you even retire. Good grief. Going back out in the dating world at 60+ years of age is not something a woman looks forward to. Plus, I want to be with someone during my retirement time, not mourning someone in my final years. I miss when things were easier. I miss squandering my beautiful irresponsible youth. Alas, times were different then.
You know...
In the 70's and 80's women powdered the shine off their nose. In 2025 women add shine to the tip of their noses. I don't get it. Whatever. More concerning, in the 70's and 80's women wore date/prom/wedding dresses that coined the term "blushing bride". In 2025 women call these dresses "vintage" and "full coverage" and "modest" as dresses have become brazenly sexier showing a ton of flesh over time. In the 70's and 80's young men and women knew sowing their wild oats had an expiration date as marriage with someone their own age was the goal by the time they turned 29. In 2025 relationships are seemingly a free-for-all with no goals in sight resulting in less marriages and children. And look, it's not my generation's world anymore. It's their world now, the younger generations, and they have to survive in it with the consequences of their actions just like my generation had to do. Younger generations, like every generation since the dawn of man, must pave their own way good or bad. Old men and women screaming at the kids about how good we had it once does nothing but teach the kids to likewise scream about irrelevant things thus contributing nothing to their society. No one liked screamo's then, no one likes a screamo now. So to all the grumpy old men and women out there just please Sshhhh. Let them figure it out. We're only going to be alive for another 30 to 35 years at best and half of those years are going to be spent golfing or looking for our glasses and house keys. We contribute practically nothing to their world beyond what we already contribute in silence. How many millionaires did our generations make? Answer: NONE. Just those who were going to inherit anyway. The rest of us, NONE. And look how many millionaires the 20-somethings have. I mean, it's amazing. Computers and the internet are the best things to happen for these younger generations.
I have a friend who is 72 years old and hearing him talk about women is like a time machine back to the misogynistic 70's. He says things like, "Women shouldn't shower for a week before seeing her gynecologist" and "Women should always go out in public by herself if she's looking to meet a man." Wow no. No on both. But he says these things in 2025 because he said he read a book published back in the 70's that advised women to do these things. My guy, that was back in the 70's! Literally everything published before 2025 regarding social construct between men and women are cover-to-cover books of nothing but nonsense words in today's world. Nothing written about social mingles between men and women published in the 70's 80's 90's or even last year for that matter, none of that applies now. His generation, especially his generation of men, understands 2025 even less than my GEN X generation of men, and many of those dudes are hopelessly lost. At least my generation bathes, and no woman should ever (not ever ever ever) go out socially by herself when looking to meet a man. It's not safe, ladies. There's too many predators and criminals out there for any woman to hang solo when out looking to meet a man. Bring a buddy, bring two, and tell people where you're going, always. If you came together, you leave together, just you guys, no one else, always. Safety first.
I think America is on the brink of civil war. I really do. Taco's R'ICE agents are out of control. Why do they cover their faces if they think they're right every time destroying someone's life and the lives of their loved ones. If you think you're being righteous as a R'ICE agent, don't hide. Also, R'ICE agents need to start carrying warrants on them. Not everyone they push in the streets are "weak liberals." Crazy, is running the circus here, fellas. Crazy, is neither democrat or republican, and Crazy has the reigns. Crazy, walks around openly with fire bombs, neck bombs, and guns rando murdering people on the street on any given weekday. White Crazy, just murdered his three young daughters, but y'all after some dishwasher for being an undocumented brown Mexican? Is it worth it, R'ICE agents, just to deport someone? Y'all worried about immigration, when Crazy might be right behind you with an automatic assault weapon and some hand grenades. And I cannot help but wonder where all this Crazy came from. Do Russian soldiers really think the war with Ukraine is worth it. Is dying for Putin worth it. At some point in all our lives we have to ask ourselves are the actions and consequences of our actions worth me doing what I'm doin right now. How did we get to this.
I pray Pope Leo XIV has it in him to reach the people. I pray he instills compassion into the hearts and minds of those who attend his mass and remind those people of the sacrifices others have died for in order for us to exist today. It's not just a holiday of remembrance, it's an every day remembrance. If People Leo can tap those Catholics, then hope of all hope the flock will spread the word of kindness, compassion, understanding, and reason.
There's something to be said for the wisdom of having a Pope who is young enough to get what's going on in the world yet old enough to sermon with wisdom. Pope Leo XIV is quite possibly the only older person people under 39 years of age will listen to.
Sure, I can bicker with the younger social media priests who argue Catholics are Christians, but every protestant in will disagree. This is possibly the one subject all protestants of every denomination will agree on, that Catholics are Catholics and are no longer Christians. Catholics stopped being Christians when they stopped preaching the word of Christ centuries ago. Priests preach saints over Christ because it's in their best interest to do so. Only the Pope can confirm a saint, giving credence to the existence of priests, bishops, archbishops, deacons, and cardinals who go on to be Pope. Hmm, convenient. Protestants preach Christ, having a relationship with Christ, that's why we're Christians. Christ = Christians. You cannot be a Christian without Christ who lived as a man, the son of God, born from the purest of women. Christ started his church before he was crucified for it. Priests can put the crucified Christ on their crosses all they want while preaching the crucifixion and resurrection but if they're not preaching from the Bible, from the time God the Father created life, then what is the foundation of the Catholic church? I cannot stress enough the importance of a Bible based church. Look, be a Christian or not, but if you're going to be a Christian read the Bible and learn about Christ from day one before his birth.
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved the face of the waters.
--Genesis 1:1-2
As Martin Luther instructs, your relationship with the Father, son, and Christ/God should be a knowing one. It is up to you to educate yourself with the Bible from page one, Genesis 1. Make an educated decision. Read the Bible first. I was seven years old when I started reading the Bible. No priests. No ministers even. Just me and my Nana. My grandmother gave a small stack of children's Bibles to read after I made a religious inquiry to my parents, and then grandma asked what I thought about the books after I read them. From that point on I chose to be a Lutheran. I'm 56-years-old, back in the 70's protestants weren't even baptized until their 18th birthday because unlike the Catholic church, protestants believe Christ/God knows who we are (I mean, He made us), He knows where we are, loves us unconditionally, provides us with a path in life without wanting anything in return, that's what unconditional love is, but should you choose to follow His path you make that commitment with a baptismal. Makes sense, right. Unlike the Catholic church that baptizes you as an infant and then has expectations of you from that day after. An infant. Wow the pressure. Can we learn to walk first?
Now...
In 2025 things may have changed regarding baptismal. I'm old school protestant. I still read the Bible with the use of "thee" and "thy" because I grew up reading Shakespeare and those words make sense to me. And while I oppose any change of text in the Bible, your minister should be able to say "you", "I", and "we" without changing the structure of the passage (in a Bible based church).
Of course, protestant churches aren't immune to greed and scandal. In my soul I cannot, will not, condone any church (protestant or Catholic) that has million (billions?) of dollars invested in it. You know who I'm talking about. Church is a place for a community to gather and share faith. That's it. Nothing more. Nothing less. Church does not require millions of dollars. Christ's church was wherever he walked. He is the church. If you're sitting in a park reading the Bible, or praying, or talking to God, you're in church. Christ is the church. Church is wherever you want or need church to be. Catholics love to believe only clergy like priests can contact God but that's simply not true. God is everywhere believe it or not, like it or not. If you're gathered in someone's living room reading the Bible, you're in church. That's why protestant churches are very simple, no frills, no fluff. It's a simple community gathering place. When priests say, "all the expensive art in Catholic churches are so the church can relate to the community" 1. No, we relate with faith, not art. And 2. There are gathering places like that called museums and art galleries. I encourage you to show your appreciation for art there. I would never walk up to someone in a museum and be all, "Have you considered making Jesus Christ you lord and savior?" I would get shut down immediately - rightfully so!
You don't attend church to look at art. And while I really like the gospel some preachers preach, if there's obvious big time money being poured in to that particular church by the preacher's congregants, I have to question what the true intent for his church is. Living a simple chaste life as I've chosen to live is not a requirement of protestants or the church's leaders for that matter, but greed is still a sin, a harm against God, which is the very reason we're protestants to begin with, we oppose a wealthy Catholic church and bowing down to any man before God. No church should have 35M dollars readily on hand. Like seriously, what? No church should have to pay off 35M dollar lawsuits... Anywayyy, you get the point.
If Pope Leo's Chicago mass is being livestreamed June 14th I'll watch it. I'm always interested in what the head of the Catholic church is preaching to his congregants.
I could go on but I'll stop here. 😊
Then Nathan said unto David, Do all that is in thine heart; for God is with thee.
--1 Chronicles 17:2
God bless you.