What Happened?

All of us have those days when we have some unexpected event takes place and it happens so quickly and is over with, that we just exclaim, "What happened?"

Time's a Wastin'

It  seems like yesterday that I wrote in this blog, but I know it has been much longer than that. You know my time just wastes away, mostly while I am trying to decide if I want to write anything or not, and then when I decide that I should, I don't know what to write about. Do you have that problem?

Lately I have been reminiscing about  time wasted and lost. When I first was married, I thought living on an acreage or small farm would be wonderful, you know the fresh air, the unencumbered breezes, the smell of nature at its finest. I bought an acreage. It had no facilities, a pump for water, and a clothesline in the side yard. The furnace consisted of a small gas stove in one of the two rooms downstairs and a wood burning range in the kitchen that had a reservoir for heating water and  do the dishes and whatnot. We even used that for washing our hands and face. The upstairs was a real gem. Two bedrooms without doors, and you didn't have to go outside to enjoy the breezes either. You could just stand at the top of the stairs and smell those wonderful odors of farm life and enjoy the breeze as it waved between the boards on the side of the housr. I have to tell you we had it all. All of the misery you could ask for in that modern age that is.

We moved from there, after two years of hardship, and decided to return back to the real world where we purchased a rreal house. It was about twenty four feet each direction, had a furnace, inside plumbing, a detached garage and a fenced in back yard. Now, this was really moving up in the world. I had wasted over two years of our lives by that time. No, I wasn't out of work, as a matter of fact I had a great job; it started at 6:00 AM every morning and ended at 2:30 PM every afternoon, just in time to come to the acreage and start the tractor for the evening chores. Those two years made time go slow, and I figure now that it was just time a'wastin'.

Since that time I have moved my family into seven states, seventeen different places to live, and tore them from ever thinking of a normal life like other folks. Some folks just don't enjoy life like I have. I have a friend who stayed back home and took a job and at the same time I turned one down with the same company. He stayed there until he retired. He drives a new car every year, plays golf at least three times a week, has a very large, and new, home, two kids, seven grandchildren, and seems to have a great life.  During all of those boring years he spent at the same company, I had two jobs, spent twenty years trying to convince myself that being in business for myself was good, and finally retired with a shirt on my back, a small home on the lake, and a lot of time to waste. I have none of those problems he has, getting up early to go to the golf course, putting up with all of those kids, and having that big house to maintain. Just imagine the worry he has every time he parks that new car wondering who is going to hit it, or key it, or do something else to it.

Today, I spend somewhere near five hours a day on the computer with email, blogs, web sites,   miscellaneous stuff like PCH contests, and other not-worthwhile things. I am still a wastin' a lot of time, but you know what? I look around and see most of my old buddies have bit the dust. Yeah, they just folded in the card hand and gave up. Maybe my time of waste wasn't so bad after all. I never suffer from work related stress, I argue with no one, but in stead just leave when I get fed up with the way things are or the way they were back when.

Now here I am, married to wonderful gal from up north, living in mid-south, and enjoying this wasted time immensely. Why not join me and we will start a new world of just doin' nothin' but wastin' time.

Tom and Jake Enjoy Writng Their Books

If you would like to read some blogs, order some books, and just find out more about Tom Ault and Jake, click here!

Jake is now five years old. He is still inquisitive, loves everyone, and wishes he could talk. No doubt he thinks of himself as my little boy since I treat him that way, but if you have a pet, you know what I am talking about.

Jake's books of color photographs in the 8x10 size with descriptions of the photos, questions for the kids about color, numbers and other things wereoriginally written for my step-grandchildren and my great grandchildren, but have been enjoyed by many other children over the past couple of years. The latest Jake book is a gift book designed to give for Valentines Day, Birthdays, Christmas or just to say "I Love You" to your favorite child. There is a place in front for your picture and a note or two from you...this is a keepsake book of 184 pages...for the price, it can't be beat by any full color, 10x8 size book.

My newest book is  "Deavereau, and the Napoleon Clock Incident.". If you like suspense and unexpected endings, you will enjoy this book and meeting Deavereau, the new handsome detective and his beautiful sidekick.

Jake always likes nice emails. http://www.aultsplace.com Just click here for Jake.

Today's Battles

An Open Letter to President Obama and Speaker of the House, John Boehner;

I am the first to admit that I am just an ordinary citizen, with an average intelligence and lacking in college degrees since my only school was the one of hard knocks. With that being said I have a few comments with respect to what I understand could be a problem or two with respect to our debt problems and our gun problems, two totally different, but important issues today.

 First, with respect to the debt situation; we hear on the radio, from the television, and from the news media in general,  that there are certain things that need to be cut. We should all agree  that cuts are necessary .

 

1.       Let’s quit giving a free ride to the people of our country. Presently our government is  giving free cell phones, free and/or subsidized housing,  and money (in the form of income tax returns, where the recipient didn’t pay anything in in the first place, ) to people because they think it is necessary. Maybe we should let them pay a minimum income tax, say a meager $10.00 or so per year to help offset the cost of the military needs, the various research needs ,and other necessities of the government machine, just so they can say they really love this wonderful country and take some pride is supporting it? I have heard that there are many people that not only do not pay any income tax, but after not paying taxes , they actually are receiving refunds of money they didn’t pay in the first place. 

Let’s say “No” to those unmarried mothers with the many children that were brought into this world for the sole purpose of obtaining welfare money.  

Let’s say “No” the many people who claim they cannot work, get their social security disability checks each month, and then start lawn services, babysitting services, and many other services that require physical labor, and are paid for in cash. (under the table)

Maybe we should put some restrictions on the attorneys that represent those same people.  They must make quite a sum of money if they can afford to advertise on television the way that they do.  Consider  this,  that you and I are really paying those attorneys who are legally giving our social security  money  to these double-dipping  people they represent.

2.       What would happen if we quit giving our money , in the billions, to foreign country governments who squander it, whose citizens never see any benefits from it, and who could care less whether our great country survives or not? Why not spend it on our infrastructure, on our children’s education, on our storm ravaged communities.

3.       What would happen if the colleges were to quit spending millions on unnecessary programs and certain preferred teachers, and actually used that money to cut the costs for students. What if we decided that teachers that teach politics that are totally against our form of government,  were dismissed and replaced with logical, ethical, and United States loving professors.  What if professors could no longer tell the students they have to buy their  personally authored  and over- priced books, rather than those books written by intelligent people that have knowledge outside of the classroom and actually have experienced the things they are writing about rather than assuming what they are writing is correct.

 

WE have another serious problem called weaponry. I come from a family of hunters dating back into the 1800’s. My people were those that hunted for food, spent money on hunting equipment that was actually needed ,rather than on sub-machine guns and other types of guns for military use.

I am not against guns, but I am against military weapons being in the hands of anyone that wants one just to please some organization that over-emphasizes the need for such weapons and then hides behind certain amendments of the government.

Not too long ago my wife and I were privileged to be used as finger printers for a sheriff’s department. Our job was to fingerprint anyone that needed fingerprints for licenses or other reasons, such as pharmacy, child care, child safety, concealed weapon permits, doctors, and the list goes on and on.

In order for a person in that state to obtain a permit to carry a sidearm, he/she must go through a gun training class where they were to learn how to use the gun, how to clean and store the gun and all of the safety rules regarding that weapon. An excellent idea…however, when you have unscrupulous instructors you have no program. Many examples of what I am saying came through our office. One was an older gentleman in a wheelchair, who not only could not remember his name, but had to be pushed about. Another came in with a briefcase containing the paperwork but he could not identify himself and wasn’t sure why he was there. A lady, that could not hold her hands still to write, (it took over ½ hour to get most of her prints and we wrote a memo explaining why we could not get all of the prints done well) also came for her permit. Now I have to ask you how safe do you feel,  knowing these people passed the test and were given permits.

It was not unusual ,when we asked why they were getting a permit, to have them tell us their spouse thought it would be a good idea, or since permits might be harder to get later, they should get one now, even though they were afraid of the guns.

In order for regulations to work, regulators have to have the proper training and that should include mental evaluation as well as physical evaluation. Just collecting the sum required for the training and passing people through like cattle in a slaughter house is not the answer.

Well, as usual, I have now made more people disgusted with me, have upset many more, but hopefully have also given some a new slant on things of interest today.

 

Survival or Denial?

Have you considered wondered what might happen if you were involved in a “Sandy” type storm, or if all of the electricity would suddenly be turned off for some reason or another for an indefinite period of time; or even worse, you found yourself and your family completely isolated from the rest of the world, you need to consider being prepared.

Now I don’t want you to rush out and buy five guns, fifty boxes of shells, empty the grocery shelves, dig a cave and huddle frightened in a corner, that is not what this is all about. Being prepared requires intelligent planning, cautious buying, and basic common sense.

I recently came back from Iowa where I visited a few friends and relatives. It was interesting to find that one of the friends my wife and I stayed with for a few days had a room set up in their basement that housed enough canned foods and dried foods to last them approximately 90 days. I asked why they did that and they informed me that they are members of the Latter Day Saints Church and it has been suggesting the preparedness program since the 1930’s. When we visited their son’s farm and found a larger warehouse room yet that could feed probably ten or more people for 90 days plus several bottles of honey. (I discovered that he raised bees as well.)

The other evening I met a couple of gentlemen from another county that have formed a neighborhood watch group. It is their feeling that as a group of common-sense citizens, everyone could be kept living through food, water, canning, and some sort of animal raising, long enough for the infrastructure to be repaired. After the devastating tornado they spent many long hours in a successful attempt to get folks in their neighborhood interested in the program. Presently they have a “Square Foot Garden” available for those who want to raise something they feel important, and a “Community Garden” that everyone, or anyone, can work under the direction of someone who understands what is needed to keep a group of people, their size, in eatable foodstuffs, along with the canned goods they have set aside. They have gone a step further and have asked each family to raise a type of animal or bird, namely chickens, ducks, geese or rabbits for meat, and goats for milk. (Did you know that one goat can furnish enough milk for a family of four?)

Here are some of things they have suggested:

1.If you own a gun and are not certain how to use it, contact a specialist that can train you in the proper way of handling it, shooting it, and especially the proper way to maintain it.

2. Learn how to trap or snare animals for food, and how to preserve the meat by canning it.

   Your children will find this part of the training fascinating.

2. You can Mylar Wrap freeze dried foodstuffs, grain (rice is a good example) and other foods for storage. It is suggested you go to the LDS website for information on the Mylar Wraps.

3. Consider learning (your state park can help you) what edible plants are available and how to identify them

4. Talk to your neighbors about a neighborhood preparedness group.

5. Take the time to meet and communicate with your neighbors. Get to know them.

If you would like more information on how you could start your  own neighborhood watch group, check your local internet search engine under the search word “Preparedness.”

 

Motivation

Motivation - To Provide with a motive (Reference: Funk and Wagnalls Standard Desk Dictionary) Motivation - The act or the incidence motivating; the state or condition of being motivated . Motivate – Incite; impel (Reference: Webster’s Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary)

     Those were a lot of words just to describe something so simple as, getting geared up. My dad was a great motivator. He used to say “move,” and if you didn’t, he motivated us with a razor strap. You probably have no idea what a razor strap is. Well, for those that don’t know, back when they used a thing called a straight razor ( a very sharp knife sharpened like a surgical blade) to shave with, and it started to get too dull to cut those wicked whiskers we men get, the razor strap was removed from its hook on the wall. The razor was moved back and forth across the surface of the strap, with the sharp part moving away from the surface so it wouldn’t cut into the leather, and that action sharpened the razor to a surgical sharpness.

     Now the lesser known use for that heavy leather strap was to motivate my brother and me when we needed motivated. Mom was a pretty good motivator too. Whenever we said something that we should not say, she motivated us to a better use of our mouths by putting part of a bar of soap in it. Let me tell you that in those days, with that soap…well you get the idea.

     In this so-called civilized world, that we live in today, we have so many motivation devices you can’t count them. A quick example might be these; Intimidation, Fear, Starvation, Desire, Success, lack of Success, Talent, Illness, Love, Hate, Health Concerns, Spanking, Time- outs. How many times have you said to yourself something like, I’ll starve before I eat that! Most of us have said it, but we didn’t mean it. Starving is the last thing we would really do, and if we were reaching that point, we would be MOTIVATED to eat whatever it was we said we would starve before consuming. Several years ago I wrote my first book. It wasn’t much of a book, just a book of poems describing different occupations. The motivation for writing that little book was my wife who asked, "Why don’t you answer those kids that you meet at the school crossings with a book of answers? I answered, what questions? (I was a school crossing guard at the time.) She said, “You are always telling me that they ask you why the workers that they see wear different clothing, or do different things.” In this case, The kids MOTIVATED her, through their questions to me. She MOTIVATED me to write the book. Unfortunately, no one motivated people to read it, so the book was not very successful. Perhaps I should have worked harder on the Motivation Factor. (see next week)