tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3995155991702679902024-03-13T22:12:31.766-07:00Troutbirder IITroutbirder II: Book reviews and views. troutbirderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087811292280881959noreply@blogger.comBlogger319125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399515599170267990.post-10588234203873208442023-06-16T13:59:00.003-07:002023-06-16T14:36:31.148-07:00Happy birthday geronimo was a heroic Apache leader and medicine man who was born near present-day Cliftonn, Arizona his tribe's lands and freedom and joined with other groups of native people's to resist Mexican and US military forces he is remembered for having bulletproof skin as a legend has it even when he was shot at again and again Geronimo would continue to advance against his enemiesAs a young 13-year-old boy in St Paul jeremiah Geronimo's reputation influenced my very own life let me explain that great warrior and man of courage we wanted to emulate. Bravery and courage aren't quite as simple as they used to be for meSuch as flag fishing in grizzly bear country in Montana in the days before pepper spray and now I have vertical because of my one ear that doesn't work and I hardly dared to climb up on a ladder or go outside in the winter when there's ice everywhereAnd I don't care to risk falling and spend the rest of my lifeIn a nursing home with a broken hipI guess I'd probablya potenial girlfriendIf I asked her for a date and a ride to take her out to a nice restaurant Geronimo i could yelltroutbirderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087811292280881959noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399515599170267990.post-76250128184727006102023-06-16T13:58:00.000-07:002023-06-16T13:58:25.362-07:00troutbirderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087811292280881959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399515599170267990.post-73105820676717046362023-03-28T07:47:00.000-07:002023-03-28T07:47:18.196-07:00anew book review o troutbirder Tfrozen Hours by jeff shaara troutbirderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087811292280881959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399515599170267990.post-11555289987635027812022-09-02T08:19:00.002-07:002022-09-02T08:31:25.187-07:00Lone Wolf<p> <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">The book I just finished is </span><strong style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">Lone Wolf</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">. Lone wolf Luke Warren studies wolf behavior and he leaves his already dysfunctional family for two years to join a pack in the Canadian wilderness and live with them. Yes, that’s the premise upon which the tale rests. And to add personal drama he returns to civilization to end up in a car crash with his daughter. He suffers a head trauma and ends up in a near brain dead coma. His past is revealed in alternating chapters from his published memoir about living with wolves.</span></p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">Should Luke be kept alive by artificial means? Is that what he would want? Luke’s tween daughter and older runaway son disagree fiercely about the answers to these wrenching life or death questions. This is the deadlock that is at the novel’s center. Ms. Picoult is not afraid to speculate into the future in her novels. All this make we wonder about where to draw the line. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">Do fiction writers have an obligation to ensure that the science they put into their novels is credible? Or does the creative license that writers enjoy mean that there's no such responsibility? What happens when a novelist explicitly notes that the work in question is based on trusted science, but scientists insist is it not? In this case it's a zoo, and Picoults “research” is based on a wolf setting in England with human habituated animals.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">Yes its fiction and writers can write what they want but wolves are often judged in our world by myths and legends rather than facts and reality. Little Red Riding hood still lives on as well as The Big Bad Wolf….</span></span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">Wolves are magnificent animals whose true-life behaviors are described in a series of books by scientist David Mech. If you want to lear<span style="font-size: 12px;">br /></span><div dir="ltr">
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<div><span style="font-size: 12px;"><br /></span></div>n about wolves try him. If you want a interesting novel try</span><strong style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;"> Lone Wolf</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;"> by Jodi Picoult….</span>troutbirderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087811292280881959noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399515599170267990.post-70521949574733794412022-07-25T12:40:00.000-07:002022-07-25T12:40:55.546-07:00Madison's gift five partnerships that built America by David O. Stuart<div class="date-outer" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><div class="date-posts"><div class="post-outer"><div class="post hentry uncustomized-post-template" itemprop="blogPost" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://schema.org/BlogPosting" style="margin: 0px 0px 25px; min-height: 0px; position: relative;"><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-8701095214492972781" itemprop="description articleBody" style="font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 570px;"><p class="MsoNormal">Madison’s gift -five partnerships that built America by David O Stewart<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">This one is a gem folks. Published in 2015 Ifyou put the title and author on your search enginem get the book for five bucks. I found mine for two bucks at the goodwill in Rochester Minnesota also if you have a big enough local library they might have it still for free.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">In a popularity and awareness ranking of the well-known names of the founding fathers of our Republic James Madison would likely be at the bottom of the list. He was quite short bald and certainly not the tall Studley athletic military man that George Washington was. Nor a powerful orator and debater Like Hamilton . It was Jefferson the brilliant, writer politician and who wrote the Declaration of Independence. The fourth partner was another military man, friend and sometime opponent James Monroe who had Madison’s back when a defenseless, broke & not very united group of states took on the mighty English Monarchy for a second time. Madison was president and when the English destroyed the new American capital city including White House and burned the new capital building down to the ground in the war of 1812. In the history texts on that war Madison gets much of the blame for all the defeats as he was not much of a military leader but instead it was his late to marry widowed Dolly Todd who gets the positive notice. Nor amazing persona like his wife Dolly lit up everyone came into her presence and could influence crowds of people . IA beautiful talented and amazing woman the author gives Dolly Madison In an extra chapter His account of her partnership and support of James</p><p class="MsoNormal"> In a nutshell what made this small modest not very visible man so important? It was his brain and his ability to pair with the more Outgoing men and one woman aforementioned To discuss advise suggest and help them use their skills and his insights and organize a bunch of bickering former colonies/states into the only Republic I. E. Democracy existing at that time in a world run by kings and queens. To Find A Republic one would have to go back to that of Rome and for democracy to the ancient Greeks in Athens.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">As I write this introduction and review I wondered to myself what it was that brought me to pluck this particular history book off the shelves at the goodwill. The books aren’t categorized there particularly but there’s usually a lot of my favorite escape reading which would be fiction specifically mystery detectives stories. The author of the Madison’s gift David Stewart was unknown to me. Of course a former history teacher I knew the names of Many of the good Historians. The American Revolution and the founding of our Republic is a fascinating subject to say the least Republic, democracy destroying our national capital all of the above are in the news these days and under threat. It was then that I wondered what James Madison had to say about these issues as he debated what form a stronger more viable American system would require to survive and prosper. The pros and cons were debated at the convention in Philadelphia, Just as they are now. the Constitution was developed and sent to the various states be approved or turned down Washington presided to keep order . Each state had a choice to makeAnd the approval of a strong constitution became a fierce political debate. Lincoln's words before the Civil War were appropriate here a nation a house divided cannot stand<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">each chapter in the book is based upon one of the five partnerships that Madison made with the leaders that built America. Which is to say the Constitution that is under attack by next president and await extremist groups that lead the charge I can’t stress this enough that reading this book would be well worth your timeTwo of the founding fathers wrote a serious of editorials called the Federalist papers whichAdvocated ratification of the new Constitution they were Madison and Hamilton. The host stood and still does the oil slaveowner Madison predicted that a crisis in the future would eventually them merge as political parties did and sectional differences over the issue of slaveryThere are a number of quotes from Madison's speeches and letters in this fascinating book. I think many of them are relevant to today's political divisions in crisis for those reasons this excellent history is well worth your time make the efffort tto find it in your public library and on the Internet<o:p></o:p></p><div style="clear: both;"></div></div><div class="post-footer" style="background-color: #f9f9f9; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); color: #666666; font-size: 10.8px; line-height: 1.6; margin: 20px -2px 0px; padding: 5px 10px;"><div class="post-footer-line post-footer-line-1"><span class="post-author vcard" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 1em;">Posted by <span class="fn" itemprop="author" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person"><a class="g-profile" data-gapiattached="true" data-gapiscan="true" data-onload="true" href="https://draft.blogger.com/profile/14087811292280881959" rel="author" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration-line: none;" title="author profile"><span itemprop="name">troutbirder</span> </a></span></span><span class="post-timestamp" style="margin-left: -1em; margin-right: 1em;">at <a class="timestamp-link" href="http://baron-troutbirder.blogspot.com/2022/07/madisons-gift-five-partnerships-that.html" rel="bookmark" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration-line: none;" title="permanent link"><abbr class="published" itemprop="datePublished" style="border: none;" title="2022-07-25T07:01:00-06:00">7:01 AM</abbr></a> </span><span class="post-comment-link" style="margin-right: 1em;"><a class="comment-link" href="http://baron-troutbirder.blogspot.com/2022/07/madisons-gift-five-partnerships-that.html#comment-form" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration-line: none; white-space: nowrap;">1 comment: </a></span><span class="post-icons" style="margin-right: 1em;"><span class="item-control blog-admin pid-891269630" style="display: inline;"><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2374808830322685957&postID=8701095214492972781&from=pencil" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Edit Post"><img alt="" class="icon-action" height="18" src="https://resources.blogblog.com/img/icon18_edit_allbkg.gif" style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: none !important; border-width: initial; margin: 0px 0px 0px 0.5em !important; position: relative; vertical-align: middle;" width="18" /> </a></span></span><div class="post-share-buttons goog-inline-block" style="display: inline-block; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; position: relative; vertical-align: middle;"></div></div><div class="post-footer-line post-footer-line-2"><span class="post-labels" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px;"></span></div><div class="post-footer-line post-footer-line-3"><span class="post-location" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px;"></span></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="date-outer" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><h2 class="date-header" style="font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 0px; position: relative;"><span style="background-color: transparent; letter-spacing: inherit; margin: inherit; padding: inherit;">Thursday, June 23, 2022</span></h2></div><p> </p>troutbirderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087811292280881959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399515599170267990.post-45722755727421514992022-06-29T07:47:00.000-07:002022-06-29T07:47:21.708-07:00I T COULD NEVER HAPPEN<p> I T COULD NEVER HAPPEN</p>
<div>BUT IT DID </div>
<div>I AM NOT OK </div>
<div>MY COUNTRY IS NOT OK</div>
<div>HEALING STARTS I PRAY TODAY BECAUSE I T MUST</div>troutbirderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087811292280881959noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399515599170267990.post-16908620730407739992021-02-09T04:00:00.002-08:002021-02-10T05:53:28.390-08:00The Poisonwood Bible<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JpuhfezgPew/UTiZ0zEZEhI/AAAAAAAAMj8/023sC-MfZR8/s1600/7244.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: calibri;"> some time back I picked up Barbara Kingsolver’s novel
</span><strong style="font-family: calibri;">Flight Behavior</strong><span style="font-family: calibri;"> and really enjoyed it. In spite of her highly acclaimed and
sometimes controversial writing she was new to me.</span><span style="font-family: calibri;"> </span><span style="font-family: calibri;">So when I happened upon her bestselling book
in the library, </span><strong style="font-family: calibri;">The Poisonwood Bible</strong><span style="font-family: calibri;">, I grabbed it….</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><strong>The Poisonwood Bible</strong> is a story told by the wife and four
daughters of Nathan Price, a fierce, evangelical Baptist who takes his family
and mission to the Belgian Congo in 1959. They carry with them everything they
believe they will need from home, but soon find that all of it -- from garden
seeds to Scripture -- is calamitously transformed on African soil. What follows
is a suspenseful epic of one family's tragic undoing and remarkable
reconstruction over the course of three decades in postcolonial Africa.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">At first I didn’t think I would like it. The father is a
uncaring zealot from the word go. On the outside the mother is a wimp who
loyally follows her idiot of a husband to the entire families near destruction.
On the inside she is naturally full of anger which finally leads to a dangerous choice. .<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The daughters are a seeming strange lot at
first, very confusing and hard to follow. Then their role as victims and narrators brings the
whole story into focus. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The book follows the family as they try to bring their way
of life, and their religion, to the village of Kilanga. They come carrying all
the wrong things - seeds that cannot grow in the jungle, packages of birthday
cake mix that will never become cakes, and a religion that puzzles and scares
the villagers. Words have many meanings there, depending on how you say them.
When Nathan talks about baptism, he is also saying ‘to terrify.’ To say ‘Tata
Jesus is Bangala’ may mean ‘Jesus is poisonwood’, or he is divine. The
villagers are also afraid of baptism as they don’t go into the river; too many
of their children have been killed by crocodiles. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The arrogance of Western missionaries is hardly news, but
Price's blinding pride makes for a story that's often comic despite its
tragedy. After months of incomprehensible sermons, the minister fails to lure
even one soul down to the river for baptism. The natives have no interest in
rushing toward salvation in the next life by bathing with crocodiles in this
one.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The history of the Belgian Congo’s unprepared lurch to
independence is particularly tragic. The new “nation” becomes entangled thru no
doing of its own in Cold War politics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The net result is a murdered freely elected leader and a Western propped
up military dictator who ruled and robbed the country for over thirty years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can see why this book has been a popular
course selection in many colleges and discussion instigator in book clubs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you have a strong
heart and stomach I’d definitely recommend it…I use the word stomach in the previous sentence very carefully based on personal experience for example both my wonderful grandchildren from Africa's survival was mad possible by the Catholic nuns whos orphanage fed and cared for the till my son and his wife adopted them and brought them to t America where the are now thriving as students and Americans. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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troutbirderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087811292280881959noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399515599170267990.post-86027552965729660532020-10-07T07:33:00.000-07:002020-10-07T16:08:11.675-07:00Invictus<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Out of the night that covers me, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Black as the Pit from pole to pole,<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I thank whatever gods may be<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">For my unconquerable soul.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">In the fell clutch of circumstance<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I have not winced nor cried aloud.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Under the bludgeonings of chance<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">My head is bloody, but unbowed.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Beyond this place of wrath and tears<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Looms but the Horror of the shade,<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";">And yet the menace of the years<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";">It matters not how strait the gate,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">How charged with punishments the scroll.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";">I am the master of my fate:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I am the captain of my soul. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";">William Ernest Henley</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SBY1hyIk-I4/V3UtY_TJDdI/AAAAAAAAS7c/7ASvQ4vaNZAbb3CPvj-Uuj7j6t84BaSpQCLcB/s1600/main.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SBY1hyIk-I4/V3UtY_TJDdI/AAAAAAAAS7c/7ASvQ4vaNZAbb3CPvj-Uuj7j6t84BaSpQCLcB/s1600/main.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Nelson Mandela (played by Morgan Freeman) survives 27 years
of imprisonment. His guide is the Victorian age poem Invictus. He emerges to
lead a reconciliation of blacks and whites into a new South Africa. Matt Damon
plays the captain of the countries white dominated and beloved rugby team. The
team is also a symbol of white racism and despised by the nations blacks. Clint
Eastwood finds just the right touch, avoiding an over the top sports movie and
a deep psychological analyses of character motivations. The result is exciting
action in a sport that most American wouldn't have a clue about, and a truly
dramatic portrayal of real political leadership. It was also something that I
found downright inspiring. I recall teaching world history to my senior high
students and feeling that the apartheid state in South Africa was as
intractible a problem as the issue of Palestine, the Arabs and the Jewish
state. Sometimes it's nice to be wrong. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The poem and the movie are both oldies but goodies. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I highly recommend them both.....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eKUL-VR4jU4/V3Utn_t-eyI/AAAAAAAAS7k/0_zD2FLJyEIDyk-TzB6JrtqMbYcrMJhSwCLcB/s1600/14invictus2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eKUL-VR4jU4/V3Utn_t-eyI/AAAAAAAAS7k/0_zD2FLJyEIDyk-TzB6JrtqMbYcrMJhSwCLcB/s400/14invictus2.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<br />troutbirderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087811292280881959noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399515599170267990.post-19108782601963970482019-12-31T10:21:00.000-08:002019-12-31T10:29:03.127-08:00ConsolidationIn Theodore Roosevelt's day bigger wasn't always considered . Buying up the competition led to monopolies and price-fixing. More than a century later time will tell if Amazon and Google will rule the world. This dip in the history means I'm consolidating my two blogs. I can't guarantee it will be better but for me it will be more efficient. TroutbirderII is joining Troutbirder which means I'll be less likely to put my book reviews into my nature blog or vice versa<br />
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<a href="http://baron-troutbirder.blogspot.com/">http://baron-troutbirder.blogspot.com/</a><br />
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Link to Troutbirder<br />
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<br />troutbirderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087811292280881959noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399515599170267990.post-23113982329268586502019-12-26T08:00:00.000-08:002019-12-25T12:09:25.217-08:00Troutbirders Favorite Recipes - a retrospective from 2015<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545071371008164146" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RPS679wXewI/TPQNCGshQTI/AAAAAAAAFZg/sNDMogYH24k/s400/scan0001.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: left; height: 400px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 314px;" /> Its hunting season here now in Bluff Country and our walks with Miss Lily the GSD are somewhat limited in where we can go without running into deer hunters. My hunting efforts in years gone by were mainly limited to upland game birds. Bow hunting for a few years was famous mostly for some hilarious episodes of ineptitude on my part. :)<br />
In the late sixties my bride purchased <strong>Cooking The Sportman's Harvest </strong>from the South Dakota Dept. of Game, Fish and Parks. I'm not sure why due to the fact that my very first effort to bring home game to the family hearth had engendered the following exchange. "What are they," asked an obviously disturbed Queen B. "Squirrels", was my proud reply, 22 in hand. <strong>"You can forget that. I'll be damned if I'm gonna cook any skinned rats in this kitchen.</strong><br />
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Here are some of the recipes which <strong>didn't get used.</strong> I wonder why?</div>
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Paddlefish squares (illegal to catch in Minnesota. Now on the endangered list.)</div>
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Snipe (<strong>Boys Scouts were often sent to search for these in the dead of night)</strong></div>
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Fishloaf (probably carp with ketchup topping) or that all time favorite... <strong>Carp Chowder with PCB's</strong> and other genetic mutations. </div>
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Pressure cooked Sage Hens (tenderizes geriatric birds of any type) </div>
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Sandhill Crane pie (popular also in North Dakota where if it has two or four legs and is not human it can be shot and eaten including tables)</div>
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Barbequed perch (not available at Famous Daves)</div>
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Fish Egg Soup ( for those with more expensive tastes) Also in the Moss Back Turtle variety</div>
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Fricasse of Young Racoon. Yes!</div>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RPS679wXewI/TPQNT86oPcI/AAAAAAAAFZo/xuXK9foPYLE/s1600/AAL9DNBCA908WFDCAEWNN0LCA7QWABOCA2WF1RICA5H37FUCA6F2QHWCAOHNZOMCA7R1JNHCA6MHKP9CA4MOEYUCAFMKA9PCAT1WSRMCA6A6LVNCAT9U1LZCA37PFG2CAIKZQIOCAFED952CA368SQQCAKUA4T7.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545071677620633026" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RPS679wXewI/TPQNT86oPcI/AAAAAAAAFZo/xuXK9foPYLE/s320/AAL9DNBCA908WFDCAEWNN0LCA7QWABOCA2WF1RICA5H37FUCA6F2QHWCAOHNZOMCA7R1JNHCA6MHKP9CA4MOEYUCAFMKA9PCAT1WSRMCA6A6LVNCAT9U1LZCA37PFG2CAIKZQIOCAFED952CA368SQQCAKUA4T7.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: left; height: 101px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 137px;" /></a> Also in the book were specialized recipes for Opposum, Beaver Tail, and Groundhog.<br />
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What it came too finally was that she was sure anything not certified Grade A by the <strong>Department of Agriculture was probably not safe to eat.</strong> I then presented her with a copy of Upton Sinclairs book The <strong>Jungle.</strong> The inside story of the meat packing industry in Chicago at the end of the 19th century. Having decided that Grade A was not a sure fire saftey guarantee either, Mrs T. went on to devise her own recipes for pheasant, grouse, geese, duck and trout and walleye. What a woman! Squirrel never did make the "approved list" though. <br />
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Sons Ted and Tony carry on the hunting traditions of the Troutbirder family. <br />
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troutbirderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087811292280881959noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399515599170267990.post-84407698565282506342019-11-03T09:29:00.003-08:002019-11-04T09:37:33.176-08:00The British are coming the war for America, Lexington to Princeton,1775-1777 volume 1 the revolution trilogyBy Rick Atkinson<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bBCL5ANoz-s/Xb8M9YEhIbI/AAAAAAAAVnI/aIDyMNeBP5om2WQqNNqASxDmqVx7BwIpwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/ED-AY760_bkrvco_JV_20190628163808.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bBCL5ANoz-s/Xb8M9YEhIbI/AAAAAAAAVnI/aIDyMNeBP5om2WQqNNqASxDmqVx7BwIpwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/ED-AY760_bkrvco_JV_20190628163808.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
please double-click on the picture above Troutbirder checking out a Montana trout stream. This will take you to his book review of the British are coming. It's a great book.troutbirderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087811292280881959noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399515599170267990.post-3725000586423469682019-09-15T09:56:00.002-07:002019-09-15T09:56:45.765-07:00The October horse<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O8PdtFMqXj8/XX5ohZZ8WpI/AAAAAAAAVlw/pTjV7RZQFnEdf2ll6vWnJrSNHk-YQ9kQwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/shopping.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="177" data-original-width="118" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O8PdtFMqXj8/XX5ohZZ8WpI/AAAAAAAAVlw/pTjV7RZQFnEdf2ll6vWnJrSNHk-YQ9kQwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/shopping.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">This is the final volume in the Masters of Rome series and
covers the time from Caesar's search for Pompey in Egypt to the battle of
Philippi, which marks the end of the “liberators” and the beginning of the
final rise of Octavian to Augustus. It is a book as much about Octavian as it
is about Caesar..<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The current volume
recounts Julius Caesar's final years, focusing on his involvement with
Cleopatra, and his final campaign in Spain. As Caesar's fame and power grows,
so does the discontent of the Roman elite. Perhaps, if they had the benefit of
reading McCullough's works, they could have seen how the pressure of the
ever-expanding sphere of Roman influence, and the reforms instigated by Marius,
required the focus of a single, brilliant man to steer its vision. However, to
the powerful men of the capital city, who have watched the power of the Roman
Senate erode from absolute, to merely advisory within a single lifetime, his
ascendancy is percieved as a grave threat to their cherished way of life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"> This long time fan of Colleen McCullough grabbed
the <strong>October Horse</strong> book as soon as he saw it on sale at Goodwill. I do love Roman history and read
the entire series <strong>Masters of Rome</strong>. This one was the clinker for me. Maybe just because I’ve
entered my golden years the endless complexity of the genealogy and names
previously mentioned in her series was just plain too much. The drama was
exciting. The characterizations sometimes interesting and sometimes irrelevant. The confrontations seem true but the details went and
on and on for 600+ pages. But the fact is while I knew the plots and what it was all about I
couldn’t keep track much of the time of who was talking and even sometimes
about what. I started skipping parts which I never do and thought the book
would never end. Sorry about that fans, of this wonderful writer but she seemed
tired and inattentive to making the story flow for me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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troutbirderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087811292280881959noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399515599170267990.post-39702165217286541702019-09-11T10:17:00.000-07:002019-09-14T17:02:09.395-07:00Paradise<div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri"; font-size: 12pt;">
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Dear friends it is with great sadness that I inform you
Barb left Cottagewood for her final reward last night September 10 at 2 AM. She
appeared the last several to be calm days calm and composed. Tony was with me
and Deanne appeared the next morning. Today the three of us met Jim hindt the
funeral director and later father Mahreddy of St. Ignatius parish for Saturday’s
mornings wake and eleven o’clock service.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"> <span style="font-size: small;">ray</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jctt3uz6p_I/XXkr4qNHILI/AAAAAAAAVlY/E5ApAzZhV5Ir09XFkPRlSfb0p7Zha21UQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/04.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="898" data-original-width="1600" height="223" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jctt3uz6p_I/XXkr4qNHILI/AAAAAAAAVlY/E5ApAzZhV5Ir09XFkPRlSfb0p7Zha21UQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/04.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></span></div>
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troutbirderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087811292280881959noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399515599170267990.post-89729921078683143682019-09-08T07:53:00.001-07:002019-09-08T17:54:37.470-07:00Saying Goodbye<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">As those of you who are my long time blogging pals know Mrs.
T. (Barb) is in Cottage wood memory care and now under Heartland Hospice
authority a private business for Medicare.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She is safe, comfortable and quietly waiting to meet our son ted again
who is with God. Our youngest son Tony who teaches High school science in
Arizona, flew up to say goodbye to his mom several days ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are now just waiting<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>sharing <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>reminescences, laughter and tears. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Ray<o:p></o:p></span></div>
troutbirderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087811292280881959noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399515599170267990.post-53042452301357514442019-08-27T07:28:00.000-07:002019-08-31T11:31:39.368-07:00The Passionfruit Cookbook<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">In the beautiful Cottagewood garden memory care unit, where
Mrs. T. now resides, nearby the gazebo where we were recently sitting, I found
an unknown to me flowering vine. The flowers color & structure were both stunning
and unique. Take a look. (Photograph by my friend at Cottagewood Autumn Kunz)</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xl_H9fVfpbQ/XWUyhPWI3EI/AAAAAAAAVk0/yb7-Rm2oveY2CIl0NguimemSioGiFIeSQCLcBGAs/s1600/16163_Q280-0222080js.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xl_H9fVfpbQ/XWUyhPWI3EI/AAAAAAAAVk0/yb7-Rm2oveY2CIl0NguimemSioGiFIeSQCLcBGAs/s400/16163_Q280-0222080js.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">A bit later I met the lady who had originally <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>planted the passion vine as she began to water it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">In Patrick Jesse Pons-Worley book, <strong>The Passionfruit
Cookbook,</strong> he writes, “Early explorers Spanish explorers <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>felt that the passion flower had a special
purpose to promote the spiritual life among the people where it grew”</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Then he goes on to explain the beautiful meaning of each
part of the plant:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">“The spiraled tendons of the plant, he notes, were taken as
symbols of the lashes Christ endured, and the central flower column as the
pillar of the scourging. The 72 radial filaments of the flower were seen as the
crown of thorns; the three stigmas as symbols of the nails used in the
crucifixion, as well as the holy Trinity; the five anthers, as the five wounds
of Christ; and the style as the sponge doused in vinegar used to moisten
Christ’s lips. Taken together, the five petals and five sepals were used to
refer to the ten apostles who did not either betray or deny Christ. The
fragrance of the flower, continued Pons-Worley, helped recall the spices used
to embalm the body of Christ. Finally, its globular egg-size fruit was taken as
a symbol of the world that Christ saved through his suffering.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The vine had been planted along the garden fence in memory
of her mother. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All she knew of it was
the name and after some discussion I said I would try to find out more about it to determine
whether it was winter hardy Minnesota. The answer was mostly doubtful on the
subject of winter survival, although with over 500 species of it worldwide, most
of which are tropical plants, there might be a few exceptions. Thus volunteering,
I apparently inherited the plant in the attempt to keep it alive in
our basement. I’ve managed <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that in the past with
orchid cactuses. Hopefully. next spring it will be returned to it present location
in the memory care garden <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to thrive and
bloom once again bringing joy to all the memory care residence <span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">residents…</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> In summing up this perhaps quaint review the passion I had developed immediately upon first sight of a flowering vine, led me to a cookbook which was the first one I had ever purchased. Gardening, flowers, history, cooking (a new venture for me), religion etc. A good book for me. Perhaps you as we depending on you interests!</span></span></span></span>
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<a href="https://barriesummy.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2xB5BdaRDNk/WaOUOkOyXtI/AAAAAAAAtd4/GsZiAE1cRFQ0bAw4GDz2GksqZ1HhZ7msACLcBGAs/s1600/BookReviewClub-Button.png" /></a></div>
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troutbirderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087811292280881959noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399515599170267990.post-56746137742147610172019-07-08T04:38:00.001-07:002019-07-08T04:38:35.495-07:00The Golden years<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Back in the day when I was growing up my father and all his
brothers called it The Shakes. More recently my neurologist identified the
problem simply as Benign Familial Essential Tremors. Lucky me! I call it<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>annoying. The Golden Years have begun. It’s
clearly not fatal the experts told me and it likely won’t get worse. It did
though to the point that holding my head still, keeping my arms and hands
steady and drinking a cup of coffee without spilling became a major problem.
Also other problems include, using a camera, holding my binoculars for birding
still and even typing (now called word processing). So what to do?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The experts recommended testing various epilepsy pills.
Thanks a lot. I got some bad headaches. Finally, I decided to adapt. Plainly
filling the coffee cup only half-full or using a straw seemed a reasonable
adaptation. Then I discovered Kwick Trip Coffee. It seems the miraculous lid has a small opening which allows the drinker to cover it with his mouth thereby preventing any spills. Amazing!</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kzc-SUs9SIA/XSMncASf4AI/AAAAAAAAVdo/HVRN8cMjgCEKF1WTM6YjEeGRatZxYlIzQCLcBGAs/s1600/Kwick%2BTrip%2BCoffee.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kzc-SUs9SIA/XSMncASf4AI/AAAAAAAAVdo/HVRN8cMjgCEKF1WTM6YjEeGRatZxYlIzQCLcBGAs/s400/Kwick%2BTrip%2BCoffee.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">That was followed by a
telescope sitting on a tripod for birding. And best of all my computer guru
Brian added the Dragon to my computer. The Dragon quite simply listens to me
talk and it types what I say. I could email and blog again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Wow with that positive note all stop for my morning coffee and six boxed doughnuts for the ride up to Rochester and Cottagewood memory care. If Mrs. T knew of my morning diet I'd definitely be chewed out. Actually though my real danger in the morning is not my bad diet but the fact that thousands of Iowans are racing north, passing on yellow lines darting in and out and all because there late for work at Mayo Clinic. This happens on a two lane narrow curving highway with lots of small dips. This definitely places a safe driving cautious law-abiding Minnesotans in serious danger. Of course, they do the same thing later in the day when they're anxious to get home.</span></div>
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See you later dear friends, I'm looking forward to a good day.</div>
troutbirderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087811292280881959noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399515599170267990.post-23607229031933011592019-07-04T07:24:00.001-07:002019-07-20T16:37:02.960-07:00July 4, 2019<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="320" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YHNik_CRJ9k/XR4JyUDNzSI/AAAAAAAAVdI/eqS-kW8pTBcbRlpF_l51yezL1Oy0zPsVwCLcBGAs/s400/66151195_681968452276434_4452660228613210112_n.jpg" width="400" /> </div>
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From my blogging friend in Montana, Army Dr. in Vietnam during the war, surgeon in the Northwest, trout fisherman, and Genial Misanthrope (his blog). A conscience for American values.</div>
<br />troutbirderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087811292280881959noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399515599170267990.post-19844066226669432082019-05-31T19:00:00.000-07:002019-06-05T17:49:41.810-07:00Not a review of William Kent Krueger's Sulfur Springs<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">William Kent Krueger is one of my favorite Minnesota authors.
There are many such authors, both male and female, who write in diverse genres,
usually set in Minnesota. As you know, when a book is placed in a location
that you’re familiar with, it helps to bring it alive. Krueger basically
writes detective stories. The background is often in Minnesota's forested
lake country, known as Boundary Waters Canoe Area, Lake Superior or
the nearby towns of the Iron Range. In<strong> Sulfur Springs</strong> Cork O'Connor, Krueger's protagonist and
former Sheriff, has a new wife named Rainy. She is an Ojibwe. Cork
is partly Indian and mostly Irish. In <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sulfur Springs,</b> Rainy’s son calls from
Arizona and tells his mom that he has murdered someone, mentions one name and
the phone goes dead. Cork, now retired from the detective business, and Rainy
rush off to Arizona to help. There they encounter an environment far different
from the lakes and woods of northern Minnesota. In this alien environment they
find out that her missing son is part of a group(Coyotes) who try to rescue
refugees from Guatemala fleeing from wars and extreme poverty, all to seek
refuge in America. These families are often left
to die waterless and lost in the desert by scammers who take their money and abandon
them. Blocking their way, besides the desert, are the beginnings of real
walls and barbed wire, border patrols and vigilantes. Besides the
vigilantes, there are also the drug traffickers who all have their own
reasons for building higher walls, or in the case of the vigilantes and the
drug traffickers, killing people. In plain English, the refugees are
people crossing through a war zone. The story inside this Krueger's mystery
is a tragedy writ large in the place far away from Minnesota. This issue divides
our country ever further between the red and blue states of America. </span><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I recently met William Kent Krueger in our town library. The
taxpayers of Minnesota passed a legacy amendment referendum raising our state
taxes for protection of the environment as well as cultural and art support.
Mr. Krueger has visited a number of town libraries because of that referendum.
I arrived at the Spring Valley's public library early to speak to our librarian and her aides when through the door the famous New York Times best-selling author arrived
to set up for his presentation. I greeted him and we spoke for about 10 minutes. We compared a few notes on both of our living at one
point in St. Paul, and I said at the end of his presentation I was going to ask
him a question. He then said I should ask him now, and I'm glad I did because after
his presentation he was surrounded by fans and people clamoring to buy his most
recent yet unpublished book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I said
something like this, "Surely you had to know that you would get bad
reviews and comments and perhaps even threats for writing
about refugees crossing from Mexico into the United States in <strong>Sulfur Springs? </strong>His answer in a nutshell was to nod his head and
say ‘Yes.’ ‘Why,’ I asked and he explained. I can't remember his exact words,
but they were what I wanted to hear. He cared. It was an issue that touched him
deeply and he needed to write this book. And he did.</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">His actual presentation, at least for the first half, was quite a
surprise. He never mentioned his own books but talked about libraries and books
and their great influence on all of us in our early childhood. There were
many parents and grandparents in the audience so he spoke of how those early
books that our parents read to us had a powerful influence on us for the rest
of our lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He explained and reviewed
the impact of Dr. Seuss and other authors like him. The audience even could mimic his
words as they anticipated his punchlines. The audience was enthralled. Later he
talked about his books and his experiences and how he wrote and what was coming
and answered all the questions that his fans wanted to hear about. I didn't ask
any more questions and when I left ahead of the crowd, I thank the taxpayers of
Minnesota for making this special evening possible and William Kent Krueger for
being there. And since then I've finished reading all his books and can tell
you, if you love a good detective story, now you'll know where to find quite a
few.</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Cork
O'Connor, the hero of many of Krueger's books has a favorite beer. I hate to
say it's brewed in. But it’s my favorite as well. The brewery is in in
Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. Some years ago I bought a Lienies hat at the brewery
and wore it for more than a decade till it recently fell all apart.
It was white and red so I won't try to <strong>Trump </strong>or change anything about <b>this not a review</b> but
plainly the books references to refugees and walls might seem out of today's headlines.
But what I'm concerned about today is getting a new red and white hat and I've located
several. So I could drive over to Wisconsin and get a new one or perhaps the
following might example might serve just as well and so here is perhaps even better
alternative. The colors are right though it doesn't say make America great again. I remember reading Orwell's <strong>1984</strong> when I was in high school in the 1950s. The literary reference to that book might just as well apply today. What you think? </span></span></span><br />
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troutbirderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087811292280881959noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399515599170267990.post-54890162692359445032019-05-28T16:37:00.003-07:002019-05-28T16:37:59.699-07:00A Dogs Journey<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Serendipity means a happy coincidence of effects and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>circumstances. Recently, after a long morning
at Cottagewood, where was the usual reports about Barb falling repreatedly
usually out of her confinement to a wheelchair. That night she was found on the
floor in her room about 2 AM facing the bed and yelling for me to come and
rescue her. My suggestions of having her where her walking shoes during the day
to help give her some balance and have assisted morning walks ran up against
various state laws and local protocols and all the usual excuses and
mumbo-jumbo. After lunch somewhat giving up, I decided to go to a movie based
on a book I'd <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>read some years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I went to see a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Dog’s Journey </b>the dearly. The next day<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>at 11 o'clock I had an appointment with Dr.
Kirsch who told me my hope for<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>right knee sometime in July was off<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>due to my recent bout with pseudo-gout and
more specifically the cortisone shot which over night ended my desire to meet
St. Peter at the pearly gates. It seems cortisone reduces the ability of the
body to fight off infections. I guess that explains why both Barb and I for
years after left knee replacements had to take antibiotic pills whenever we visited
the dentist. I asked the doctor how serious the risk was of going had with the
surgery and his reply basically was “well, you<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>get an infection there and we’ll probably have to amputate you right
leg”. Hmmm I guess I’ll wait till September…..<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">This is not intended to be what Stacy, my very wise cleaning
lady and EMT, calls a “pity party” nor some extraneous “drama”which I am
getting rid of by writing about a dog movie.. The movie began about 1: 30 and I
found myself all alone in the theater both literally and figuratively.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The scene was a farm we see <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a beautiful young woman and mom of a little
girl. The mom lost her husband in the war in Iraq. Now she was drinking too
much and paying little or no attention to her child. The grandparents offered
to raise the little girl, and instead their daughter took her child planning
never to return to the farm so she could a musical career life in the big city.
The catch to this story is all about Bailey, the beloved dog of the
grandparents. Bailey had already adopted and protected the little girl. Given
the mission to protect the little girl we see <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bailey return to protect her in the form of a
series of other dogs who carry on his life and mission.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Pretty sappy I guess but in our family there was Max our
first dog, and big guy a. K. A. Baron our first German Shepherd and Ethan our
oldest grandson and several other coincidences of names and circumstances.
Halfway through the movie sitting in the seat for two I lost it. Later, on the way
out unbeknownst to me, there was an elderly couple in the theater. Out in the
parking lot the lady came up behind me and said “your a dog lover like us aren’t
you?” I could only nod in response, while thinking that's just a small part of
it.This movie hit a too close to home.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
troutbirderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087811292280881959noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399515599170267990.post-70922251181612820742019-05-10T15:18:00.000-07:002019-05-10T15:18:19.001-07:00Starry Stary Night<div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri"; font-size: 12pt;">
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-845aWMFXal0/XNX3U2Z83iI/AAAAAAAAVQg/nQwbuiBKLactlm9DaOyV4MnzfibvfCICQCLcBGAs/s1600/painting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="205" data-original-width="246" height="266" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-845aWMFXal0/XNX3U2Z83iI/AAAAAAAAVQg/nQwbuiBKLactlm9DaOyV4MnzfibvfCICQCLcBGAs/s320/painting.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Dear fellow bloggers and friends, I am writing tonight
about yesterday’s visit to Mrs. T’s memory care facility at Cottagewood. It’s
actually a story I’ve titled <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Starry
Starry Night”after French artist Vincent van Goghs painting of the same name.
The song itself is named <strong>Vincent</strong> by Don Mclean. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">I and Barb were discussing with the head nurse Chris,
Barb’s numerous recent falls. The issue was simply what to do to keep her safe
and if possible avoid permanently assigning her to a wheelchair. During this
lengthy semi successful discussion I finally heard some music from the commons
room around the fireplace. Taking Barb’s hand we chose to follow the
music.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Finding a seat in a large circle involving most of the
residents and their aides and caretakers we focused on a large boned blonde
woman beautifully singing as she played her guitar. Her companion, also in his
50s was quite short with thick glasses and looked to me like a retired hippy the
from an earlier decade. He also was playing his guitar while occasionally
pounding on it for rhythm. He also sang quite well. She asked the audience for
any further suggestions on what they could play. No response. So I raise my hand
and volunteered the notion of some “golden oldies”. That’s the phrase I had used
and previously writing about the Valentine’s day where we got rock ‘n roll from
the pianist and later waltzes for the Dementia land luncheon with your
sweetheart and Ball .</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">This <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">time</b>
though, I’m not exactly sure how to describe the music, let’s just call it old
time hip big city folk music from decades ago. Some of the audience was
sleeping, some watching and listening and a very few tapping, smiling and
singing along. It was all good. And then….</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">And then I heard the phrase which they were both
singing, “Starry </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Starry Night.” And I put
my face in my hands, listened and then began to cry. I don’t believe anyone
except the female guitarist noticed my reaction at first but in any case she
kept on going and so did I. As the song concluded I stood up and approached her
to thank her and she nodded and pointed to her husband. As I approached him he
held out his hand and said”I know”and I said bipolar. And the name? Ted. Then
she approached and gave me a hug and said”I’m so sorry, we will play it again
for you at the end. Later, when she looked at her watch, I waved my finger and
shook my head no and she nodded and I requested American pie. The audience
smiled and Barb and I stood up to dance as we had when Don McLean sang the some
years ago in the Rochester Civic Auditorium. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bye, bye Miss American Pie </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">And them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye
</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Singin' this'll be the day that I die </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Everyone has been guessing the meaning of all these
words since forever. That song is now is legend.</span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Oh, could that man could sing and composed the songs
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>he sang and for others as well. Often to
be their greatest hits. Roberta Flack sang her greatest hit “ <strong>killing me
softly with his song</strong>, ” with these words </span></div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri"; font-size: 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="line-height: 1.2;">Strumming my pain
with his fingers </span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="line-height: 1.2;">Singing my life with his words </span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="line-height: 1.2;">Killing me softly with his song <span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="line-height: 1.2;">Killing me softly with
his song</span></span></span>
</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">It was about McLean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ending this story with one of Barb and my favorite songs composed and
sung by Don Mclean.<strong> AND I LOVE YOU SO. </strong> I played our piano back in the day and we both
sang that song.......</span></div>
troutbirderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087811292280881959noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399515599170267990.post-57801587708252538512019-04-24T16:46:00.000-07:002019-04-24T16:46:05.319-07:00Daniel Boone and TroutbirderDaniel Boone American explorer and Frontiersman extraordinaire saves Troutbirder from humiliation and find his way home. Double click on Mark Twain above for details.....troutbirderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087811292280881959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399515599170267990.post-56726190256982410042019-04-19T17:24:00.000-07:002019-04-19T17:24:20.158-07:00For Easter and Ecumenical dialogue<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">A religious dialogue between an evangelical Baptist, my
beautiful loving daughter-in-law Deanne and myself Troutbirder who is perhaps a
skeptic or even a secular humanist. The dialogue that follows stems from my
noting to<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Deanne some of my favorite
parts of the New Testament. Well, I have some issues with the Old as with that
eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth stuff. Each part of the dialogue begins
with my comments some favorite passages and Deanne’s take on those comments. Enjoy
or comment on them in the comments section yourself. :-) Remember however this is
not red state versus blue state stuff, nor zero sum debates but between two
people who love and care for each other.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hi Ray! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I'm presently at my 2nd of 3 jobs I have.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My client <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>was born with a rare chromosomal handicap. .<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He spent the first 5 months of his life at
Children's hospital.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was blessed to
start working with him when he finally came home--a little "peanut"
of a boy, with a sweet smile and pretty auburn hair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He's my dear "Billy"<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just love him to pieces and am truly
blessed to know him and his family.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Speaking of "blessed,"<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the Sermon on the Mount is one of my favorite
chapters in the Bible (Matthew 5).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
truly makes sense that you love that chapter, as well, Ray.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From your insight on each verse, backed up by
the way you have lived, one can easily see you have a deep passion (from God, I
believe) to help and advocate for the less fortunate--the ones who suffer...the
lost...the lonely...the disabled...the weak...the poor...the unprotected...the
vulnerable...the overlooked...the forgotten.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I have ALWAYS seen Jesus in you, Ray--but reading your take on the
Beatitudes, definitely added another dimension to the beauty of your soul.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not that my opinion
matters, but since you asked me to comment on your take on the Beatitudes, I
will do so now, for you...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">"Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think that
may mean something about depression.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
I know it saved you and Barb when Ted went there to be with God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thank you for saying that, Ray.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When Ted went to Heaven, not only was my
husband gone but so were my dreams and my future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That's why it took me so long to regain my
footing because TED had been my footing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I had to turn my pain, depression, and FUTURE over to Jesus or I would
have never made it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being "poor in
spirit" meant relying solely on Jesus--the only One who could heal my pain
and give me HOPE again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And He did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From that whole heart-wrenching trauma I came
to realize REALITY that we are ALL passing away...that we are all dying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I can't tie my anchor onto anyone or
anything that is passing away. I can only tie it onto the One who gave His life
for me and is preparing a place for me in eternity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two of my favorite Bible verses are John
3:16-17, which I'm sure you know: 16"For God so loved the world that he
gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but
have eternal life. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For God did not send
his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through
him."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">"Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be
comforted." That also covers the previous one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also know I've had a share of that business
in my life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, you have, Ray.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mental illness is no respecter of persons and
it has dug it's ugly claws into too many of your beloved family members.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can't IMAGINE the anguish you've had to
endure, especially with losing your beloved son.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do so hope the Lord comforted you in those
valleys of darkness and carried you in His loving arms until the sun (AND Son)
shone on your face again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">"Blessed are the meek for they shall possess the
earth."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope that's true for they
deserve it the most.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You are soooo
right, Ray.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ok--here comes my fiery
opinion...(watch out!wink)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is this
point that makes me righteously angry with BOTH the republican and democratic
parties.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both parties talk out of both
sides of their mouths. Scripture AND the constitution are clear that ALL life
is important and valuable--whether you're of the 97% who are born with no birth
defects or of the 3% who ARE born with so-called defects, whether you're
Christian or Atheist or Muslim, whether you're one skin color or another,
whether you're heterosexual or homosexual, whether you're a woman or a man or
unsure of your gender, whether you live within the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"walls" of the United States or
outside the "walls" of the United States, whether you live within the
"wall" of a womb or on the outside of the "wall" of a
womb...ALL life is important.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I, too, hope the MEEKEST of the meek
possess the earth someday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The last WILL
be first.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">"Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for justice,
for they shall be satisfied."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Another core value for me and it should as well be for our country and
many others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But as a country we have
failed that many times because of many things including prejudice racism,
sexism, homophobia, etc. etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
completely agree.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I would also add
in there that this country has failed because of greed, selfishness, and disrespect
for God and for our neighbor.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">"Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain
mercy."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes indeed, the good
Samaritan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love that story of the Good
Samaritan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did you know that in Jesus'
day, the Samaritans were looked down upon because they weren't purebred?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(That goes back to when the Assyrians
conquered the northern tribes of Israel and many of the areas of those
regions--AKA, Samaria became "mixed" then).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet, it was the "unclean" and
"mixed" person from Samaria who helped the half-dead traveler on the
road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We ALL need to be good
Samaritans!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The world would definitely
become a better place if we did!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">"Blessed are the clean of heart for they shall see
God."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I'm not sure what clean means
here but under my sainted mother's direction I was a long time member of the
clean plate club.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hahahahaha!!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love your sense of humor!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But back to the verse,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think "clean of heart" here means
asking God to forgive us of our sins and then seeking to do what God
wants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I always think of Psalm 51 when
David was so remorseful for his sins and he cried out to God, "Create in
me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">"Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called
the children of God."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The very best
people in the world who follow the teachings of Jesus, and knowing what I know
now, would not have volunteered to fight in Vietnam nor any of our subsequent
wars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Word war II yes--it was a fight
against an evil man in system, including the Holocaust, likely the worst kind
ever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trying to exterminate one religion
by another tribe on the basis of race and religion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I really don't think I have the right to
comment on this one because I don't know much about ANY war except World War
II, and I was never deeply rooted in a military family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My dad was in the National Guard and so was
Troy, but otherwise, I really don't take a side on anything with the wars
(mainly because I'm ignorant--unlike you, who knows a lot). I DO respect your
opinion, though, on this matter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
back to the verse,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus says that any
who try to make peace shall be called children of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don't know about anyone else, but I<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>certainly want to be a child of God so I will
do all I can to be at peace with everyone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The writer of Hebrews reiterated the statement, when he wrote,
"14Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy;
without holiness no one will see the LORD." (Hebrews 12:14). And you're
more than right about the Holocaust (of the Jews or ANY other group of people)
being BRUTAL, inhumane, and EVIL.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hitler
and his wicked cohorts are definitely reaping now what they sowed during their
time on earth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were NOT children of
God--and because of that, they are in a place where God IS NOT.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">"Blessed are they who suffer persecution for justice's
sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, justice and mercy have somewhat been
covered so I will mention heaven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
mostly believe that heaven and hell are here on earth as God gave us the
ability to make choices; thus heaven is here on earth and is made by mankind's
choice of love or hate. My take on the verse is that Jesus for-warned us<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that anyone who follows Him WILL be
persecuted-- It's a given.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And as the
end draws closer, evil will continue to ramp up and will try to snuff out
Jesus' commands of "Love God first" and "Love your neighbor as
yourself," and also His Great Commission to spread the Good News about
Him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we WILL be rewarded in the end
for following Him, believing in Him, and for receiving Him as our Lord and Savior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my beloved mother's obituary it was stated
that all her suffering (which can be synonymous with persecution) had been
replaced with the crown of righteousness. (2 Timothy 4:7-8).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Moving on to your take on "the kingdom of
heaven"--it's interesting!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thank
you for confiding in<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>me, in writing, and
also in person, your "beliefs" on heaven and hell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you mind if<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I share with you another segment of favorite
Scripture verses (I have a gazillion, by the wayteeth_smile).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In John 14, Jesus is comforting His
disciples.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They know He is about to die
soon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is what He says: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God;
believe also in Me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so,
would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And
if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with
Me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am
going'<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are
going, so how can we know the way?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through Me. 7 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Just as Jesus was comforting His disciples with this
assurance, He also comforts ME with these promises that He's coming back one
day to take me to my new Home--my permanent Home with Him (and with Ted and my
mom and grandma and with YOUR mom and dad).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I can't wait!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But until that day
happens, I have a lot of living to do yet here and a lot of GIVING to do yet
unto others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>--NOT because my salvation
depends on it but because I WANT to do it in joyful response to what Jesus did
for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am saved because I have a
SAVIOR--and one day I will reside with Him WHEREVER Heaven is located.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">So how did I do on my commentary??<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, I admit I'm opinionated, but hey--I DO
have a mind, a heart, and a will of my own!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>God made each of us uniquely--made in His image, but still UNIQUE.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I'm glad I'm unique.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I'm glad YOU'RE unique, too, Ray.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Blessed are
the...<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>blessed is ME!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>--To have a Savior, to have life, to have
love, and to have BEAUTIFUL people in my life like you, Barb, and Ted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope you feel blessed, too, Ray!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I would love to come to church with you one of these
upcoming Sundays in March!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I'm going to
shoot for March 17 or March 24th.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
would feel honored to attend with you, hear the sermon, greet your fellow
Spring Valley Methodists, and have Sunday treats with the friendly female
parishioners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sounds like it would be a
perfect start to a new week!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will talk
to you about it soon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Hope you have a joy-filled weekend, Ray!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I love you!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">--Deanne<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rGkb26QU1Tk/XLplbsYPUbI/AAAAAAAAVPE/xFykbByp7M0fwBtUkrjlU53KPNgMoXPagCLcBGAs/s1600/B%2B%2526%2BD%2B3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="224" data-original-width="400" height="179" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rGkb26QU1Tk/XLplbsYPUbI/AAAAAAAAVPE/xFykbByp7M0fwBtUkrjlU53KPNgMoXPagCLcBGAs/s320/B%2B%2526%2BD%2B3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Deanne and Mrs. T.</span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
troutbirderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087811292280881959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399515599170267990.post-91069562480293751292019-04-14T15:55:00.000-07:002019-05-17T06:38:38.944-07:00Not a book Review of Sulfur Springs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-U19fKytRXqc/XLOw8NJkSXI/AAAAAAAAVOg/SrbiVLEYndgeluH1DVXDYz6PILVnJsh6gCLcBGAs/s320/Sulfer%2BSprings.jpg" width="211" /> </div>
William Kent Krueger is one of my favorite Minnesota authors. There are many such authors, both male and female who write in diverse genres usually set Minnesota. As you know, when a book is placed in a location or environment your familiar with, it helps to bring it alive. Krueger writes basically detective stories. The background is often in Minnesota's forested Lake country, Boundary Waters Canoe Area, Lake superior or the nearby towns of the Iron Range. Cork O'Connor, Krueger's protagonist and former Sheriff has a new wife named Rainy. She is an Ojibwa. Cork is partly Indian and mostly Irish. Her son calls from Arizona and tells his mom that he has murdered someone, mentions one name and the phone goes dead. Cork, now retired from the detective business and Rainy rush off to Arizona to help. There they encounter in environment far different from the lakes and woods of northern Minnesota. In this alien environment they find out that her missing son is part of a group(coyotes) who try to rescue refugees from Guatemala fleeing from wars and extreme poverty, all to seek refuge in America. These families are often left waterless and lost in the desert by scammers who take their money and abandon them. Blocking their way their way besides the desert are the beginnings of real walls and barbed wire, border patrols and vigilantes. Besides the vigilantes there are the drug traffickers all have their own reasons for building higher walls or in the case of the vigilantes and the drug traffickers killing people. In plain English, the refugees are people are crossing through a war zone. The story inside this authors mystery is a tragedy writ large in the place far away from Minnesota which divides our country ever further between the red and blue states of America divided. <br />
I recently met William Kent Krueger in our small town library. The taxpayers of Minnesota past a legacy amendment referendum raising our state taxes for protection of the environment and cultural and art support. Mr. Krueger visited a number of towns libraries because of that referendum. I arrived to the library early to speak to our librarian and her aides and through the door the famous New York Times best-selling author arrived for his presentation. I greeted him and we spoke for about 10 minutes as he set up for his presentation. We compared a few notes on our both at one point living in St. Paul and I said at the end of his presentation I was going to ask him a question. So he then replied will ask me now and I'm glad I did because that the and he was surrounded by fans and people clamoring to buy his most recent yet unpublished book. Was something like this, "surely you had to know that you would get bad reviews and comments and perhaps even threats for writing on this topic? His answer in a nutshell was to nod his head and say yes. Why, I asked and he explained. I can't remember his exact words so I'll make them up but they were what I wanted to hear. He cared. It was an issue that touched him deeply and he needed to write this book. And he did.<br />
His actual book talk, at least for the first half was quite a surprise. He never mentioned his own books but talked about libraries and books and their great influence on all of us in our early childhood years there were many of parents and grandparents in the audience so he spoke of how those early book that our parents read to us had a most powerful influence on us for the rest of our lives. All of those child books but when he explained or reviewed the impact of Dr. Seuss and those like him the audience even could mimic his words as they anticipated his punchlines. The audience was enthralled. Later he talked about his books and his experiences and how he wrote and what was coming and answered all the questions that his fans wanted to hear about. I didn't dance any more questions and when I left ahead of the crowd I think the taxpayers of Minnesota for making this special evening possible and William Kent Krueger for being there. And since then I've finished reading all his books and can tell you if you love a good detective story now you'll know where to find quite a few really good ones<br />
P. S. <br />
Cork O'Connor, the hero of many of Krueger's books has as a favorite beer. I hate to say it's brewed in our neighboring State of Wisconsin but I might as well. It's brewed in Chippewa Falls. So some years ago I bought a red and white Lienies hat at the brewery and wore it for more than a decade till it recently fell all a part. I won't try to <strong>trump</strong> or change anything about <strong>this not a review</strong> but plainly Krueger's references to refugees and walls in <strong>Sulfur Springs</strong> might seem out of today's headlines. But what I'm concerned about today is getting a new red and white hat and I've located several and I could drive over to Wisconsin and get a new one or perhaps the following one pictured might serve just as well and so here is perhaps even better alternative. I think the reference to Orwell's 1984 might be very appropriate for my new hat. Whatcha think? <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-24L_uBpDpIY/XLO5yWBYqHI/AAAAAAAAVOs/zdgHRN2miRY3uuyoFPZtfdibYOPmNUDfACLcBGAs/s1600/Make_Orwell_Fiction_Again.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="180" data-original-width="180" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-24L_uBpDpIY/XLO5yWBYqHI/AAAAAAAAVOs/zdgHRN2miRY3uuyoFPZtfdibYOPmNUDfACLcBGAs/s400/Make_Orwell_Fiction_Again.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
troutbirderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087811292280881959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399515599170267990.post-17472629393587559562019-04-10T06:48:00.002-07:002019-04-10T17:50:13.852-07:00A Spring DittyA Mrs. T. often reminded me on April mornings...<br />
"Oh there you are Merry Sunshine,<br />
What makes you rise so soon?<br />
You scared away the little stars<br />
And shined away the moon.<br />
The grass is green.<br />
The flowers are riz!<br />
Oh! There you are,<br />
you blooming idiot<br />
<br />
Okay. So I'd just gotten up and was only slightly cranky. The fact that the weather report for today the 10 of April indicates up to 8 inches of snow this after hasn't helped my mood either...:(troutbirderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087811292280881959noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399515599170267990.post-54173888531131905282019-03-29T07:29:00.001-07:002019-03-29T07:29:16.173-07:00Becoming<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">So this morning I just finished <strong>Becoming</strong> by Michelle Obama. This much discussed book is likely or has already been identified as the most read or listened to autobiography/memoir of all time. Some of my former students, of this long retired history teacher would no doubt find it hard to believe, when I say, for this review I’m at a loss for words. What is there to say that won’t sound like a bunch of hackneyed clichés or overdrawn superlatives?' I'll try to choose my words carefully and with restraint.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><strong>Becoming </strong>is a book exactly about that. How a child and then a young girl grew up first in a racially diverse mostly blue-collar working-class neighborhood on the south side Chicago. Her rock-solid family was anchored by a father who despite serious physical handicaps worked a full-time job for the city, never complained and brought laughter and fun to all those around him. Then there was her mother, who fostered in her children that with no excuses they should always strive to be the best that they could be. Incidentally, this should always include using proper grammar Finally, there was an older brother who steadfastly protected his little sister and often paved the way for her on their mutual road to success. As we know, it is often the case that our early childhood sets the template for who we become.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Each following candid chapter reveals more and more of the becoming theme. Michelle’s high school years were marked by the effects of the white migration to the new suburbs. The south side of Chicago began to suffer the effects and trauma of poverty, crime and drugs. The self-actualization of the word "ghetto" only worsened the problems. In the mostly black high school, which Michelle attended, she was asked "why are you so white?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Grammatically correct English was no doubt a factor there.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"> In succeeding chapters we meet a striving young woman who regularly asked herself she was “good enough?” Needless to say she was both while attending an elite Ivy League university and beginning work at a Chicago law firm where she hoped someday to become “a partner.” O<span style="font-family: "calibri";">bviously both of these institutions were largely white and mostly male-dominated.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The next chapters becoming for Michelle involves an unlikely romance and marriage involving two people so different in their upbringing and lifestyle one can hardly imagine how in the end it all works so well. Of course, the last becoming involves politics and the White House. Here the details are rich and compelling and include an evolving marriage and raising two girls as normally as possible in the White House. There is some disdain for politics at the beginning of the stages but overall little rancor, Michelle’s tagline "when they go low, we go high” pretty well sums it all up what is left out in these final chapters. We saw all the lows on national television. The highs in those White House years when a special woman and her family did us all proud.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">So now as I promised, without all the superlatives and clichés I could think of, I will <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>simply say this is the best autobiography/memoir I have ever read. And to those who for whatever reason have yet to read it I believe anyone who approaches this story with an open mind and a little empathy will find it touches the heart.</span><br />
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