A Little of This, and a Little of More of This

This Christmas season has been a blessing in many ways.  During the run-up to each of the last few Christmases there has been some anxiety.  This year more than the last.  Travel worries have become more prevalent with two children living out of state.  I know these young men are legal adults, but they are still our children. The snows of Northern California and the winds of Iraq don't make good bed partners when one wakes up in the early morning. The blessing this year is that we have had a relatively light rain/snow year so far, and Middle Eastern winds no longer buffet our Army son.

And this is not to say that those living in our humble hamlet don't give pause to our thoughts.  Brad and Laurel seem as happy as any two newlyweds could be, but they remind me of my grandparents.  Just wed at the onset of the other Great Depression.  I listened to their stories of the30's and the war; I just wish I'd asked more as well to go with the listening so I would have more ideas for this time.  Our last child, trying to make it through high school like her brothers and getting closer to a boyfriend in the Army, is strong.  But is she taking in all that is happening in the world now?

That is the backdrop to our lives now.  Many others have similar or worse to deal with, so I am very thankful that all four children are home for this holiday.  It is fun to revisit games we haven't played in a while, watching basketball games as a large group and the haggle and tussle of fetching firewood even though we all like sitting by the fire.  I still marvel that the sense of humor they each have, and each time we gather wonder what new idea, thought, book or TV program will we introduce to each other.

I think of Ecclesiastes in times like this.  Though the book presents a pessimistic view of the world, I choose to focus on the idea of, "To everything there is a season."  And now is the season to enjoy family.

A Little Math Lesson

In today's Visalia Times Delta there is an article about some overdue fines owed the state of California.  The article was jumbled a bit and took a while to understand.  But after wading through the article, thank you Maureen, some interesting numbers became evident.

There appears to be many people that haven't paid fines they owe to the State.  These are just the medium to minor types of offenses such as running a red light, speeding or failure to appear in court. Excluded tickets are parking tickets, DUI's, reckless driving and driving with a suspended licence.  They also won't reduce the tickets if you have other outstanding tickets.  So I guess "real" citizen criminals don't get to partake of this end of the year gift.  Now comes the math.

How much is the State expecting to generate?  The article states that if only 2% of the tickets and fines are paid at the half price amount, $46 million will be generated.  $46 million.  I know I teach English, but Mrs. Veitch drilled Math into my head years ago for a reason.  If 2% equals $46 million, then 100% equals $2.3 BILLION.  Don't we have a money issue in Sacramento right now?  As in we, the State of California, are in need of money.

Seems to me if we, the Sate of California, collected what it is owed less taxes will have to be raised.  Just a Social Science/Ethics question to go with our Math lesson.

P.S. The tickets the State are counting are only those from 2009 and before.

My Kind of Store

I saw this on Coco's Variety blog. Courtesy of Etsy and Vimeo.


There's No Place Like Here: Liberty Tool from Etsy on Vimeo.

Nostalgie pour la Boue

Yearning for the mud. That is the translation for the above French phrase. It usually is interpreted to mean the yearning, then acting out, of the upper class for things of the lower classes. From what I've read, it was used by Tom Wolfe somewhere. Usually it evolves into degrading or unworthy things.

That's not the idea I think of when I use the phrase. To me it is more about the yearning for the soil, so maybe it should read, Nostalgie de la terre. I ponder the soil and what might be grown and produced. A family working the land to grow fruits, vegetables and animals so they may sit around a table with friends and family enjoying the harvest.

I also think of the phrase when I go to Trader Joe's or Whole Foods. I love watching people and even could be convicted of eavesdropping on conversations when in public. These two businesses seem to cater to young hipsters or middle aged professionals. Not exclusively, but enough for me to paint some broad sweeping generalizations and stereotypes.

I know I live a secluded life in a small provincial town in one of the poorest regions of the United States. We are limited in many ways. So when I go to these stores in the largest city in our area I see more dreadlocks, black and blonde haired, than normal. More French tied neck scarves. More black clothing. More of the latest outdoor wear. More of what is current than I'm used to seeing, even for a frugal high school teacher working amongst teenagers.

So I watch and listen and yearn for the land in my blood stained shoes, slightly soiled jeans, cattle company hoodie and baseball hat. With a smile on my face.  Nostalgie de la terre, le sol et la boue.

Came Across this Quote

While looking of the definition of another quote I found this. Seems to sum up some of what is going on right now.



"Socialism is the philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy. Its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery." Winston Churchill

A Day in the Big City and More

Yesterday Maureen and I took a trip to Fresburg, though that wasn't the main reason. We started with a trip to a blogworld friend that was processing chickens. Having done Dinner, our next adventure in suburban sharecropping should be chickens, right?

I was a great time. Here is the great description our friend posted, and they did a good job detailing the process. We learned some tricks processing these roosters. For me one issue was the chicken's cavity and its size. Getting my hand in to scrape out the lungs was a bit tight. It was also a learning process to slaughter more than one bird at a time. We could take our time with Dinner. Not so here as even with only five roosters speed became relevant. Afterwards the thought again came to mind that this job isn't necessarily hard, just another form of work. And work that previous generations did on a regular basis. One that the future may hold for many of this generation.

After the chickens were packed away, Maureen and I traveled into the hills to Prather and G.I. Jim's Military Surplus and Supply. This is a place that is out of our normal travel paths, but since we were close and had some time thought we would go see what is available. We were pleasantly surprised with the selection,  Jim is a nice guy to talk with, and he certainly has a passion for his job. We ended up getting a break-down shovel, headlamp and space blanket to leave in the car in case of emergencies. We definitely plan on returning.

After spending the day so far in pleasant company and calm surroundings, our next and last stop was a contrast. We needed some milk so we stopped at Trader Joe's on Blackstone in Fresno. Trader Joe's isn't a bad contrast, and  is always a great people watching location. Blackstone was a madhouse at 5:00 in the evening. I was struck with the thought that I was the only one in the store with blood on their shoes.

Meeting and helping a friend, gathering good food, watching people, then back on the asphalt spine of Central CA to the little town with the English name. A good day.

Geezer Rant

This past week I had a student choose to not dress out for PE class. He willingly chose an F for the day, with no chance of making that day up. 90% of a PE students grade is daily participation. On top of the dress cut, he asked to leave class early. He had been to his counselor as well with this same request. The reason for this non-educational behavior?

To decorate a car and ask a young lady to attend the winter formal with him. Romantic, yes. Wise, not very.

I am really getting old and cynical.

Why Doesn't . . .

I recently watched It's a Wonderful Life, again. Couldn't count how many times if I had to, but still like the movie, and still cry at the end. I was struck again by a thought that has been reoccurring the last ten years or so of watching this film. Maybe it's being older; maybe it's a reflection of our times. It might be just something I can't explain at this time.

Why doesn't Mr. Potter get arrested for stealing the Bailey's $7000? He has it. It's not his money. And the butler/wheelchair pusher knows it also.

Or is his punishment the fact that he has no friends and most really dislike him?

Living Out the Rest of Your Life, Part 2

Sometimes you just know that changes need to be made. This is the second part of current ideas floating through my head about the future. The more I write, the more I think I need to write.

We are we going to live in the future? This includes the idea of location and setting. Like many Americans we have issues and conflicts with the banking/mortgage institutions. Where we are now may not be where we will be in the future. That may be out of our control, but what can we do about the things we can control? Paring down our needs and wants coupled with a consolidation of what we decide to keep. What do we really need to live in a reasonable fashion? At this time I'm thinking of the clothes I wear and the tools I use most of all.

I wear ties almost everyday to school. Over time I have been given ties, bought ties, dug ties out of weird places. The collection allows me to wear a new tie almost every day of the year. I don't need these ties, but as one of the very few people at work to wear a tie, i.e. I'm a dinosaur, I find it a hard habit to change. And some of the ties have a great sentimental connection. I wish I could sew as the latest idea for these ties is to make them into a comforter. I could remember the sentiment and keep warm in the process.

I have a dress code to follow at work. Most occupations do, but school dress codes don't usually mean sturdy clothes unless you are a shop teacher. One change I'm making is choosing to buy pants that are sturdy enough to be good work pants after the glow of being dressy wears off. Carhartt and Dickie nice pants that fit this task, and fit my body. Filson Tin Pants are my ultimate choice, but a bit too expensive at this time. The thought is to purchase sturdy pants, basic shirts and to stop wearing ties, with the plan to have a collection of long wearing clothing that can be used in a variety of situations.

The tools we use are currently stored in reused kitchen cabinets mostly. I like the frugalness of this plan, but it needs some tweaking. The plan is to build wheeled platforms similar to piano dollies that the cabinets will sit on. The cabinets can be moved to fit different shops, rooms or storage situations. They also then will be organized to have similar tools stored together for easier use.

Living Out the Rest of Your Life, Part 1

I'm a public school teacher. You're allowed to spit now. I have a retirement system that I've paid into and expect it to be still available when I retire. We could argue about all of that. We could argue that it's unfair that our retirement might be considered unjustly better than private sector jobs. We could disagree on whether public jobs pay less than private, but make it up with better benefits and a retirement. That's not what I want to discuss here.

I'm more concerned about how to prepare for the future, i.e. the rest of my life, given the tools and resources I have available. Isn't that the essence of prepping? Aren't we all trying to carve out a place for ourselves to live from here on out? We can't predict what the government and other social groups may do, but ultimately what will matter is what we do with what we know and possess. I have to admit some frustration with some online prepping sites and blogs. Some seem to paint themselves as having THE answer. Others paint such a gloomy picture that you question if the life you're left with is worth living. The blogs I feel closest to though give ideas about how to live a meaningful life now and how to reasonably carry that on in the future, what ever the future might bring.

A big change we're pondering now is retirement. But this won't mean vacations and traveling, so retirement may not be the correct word. A lifestyle change is a more precise description. Some of those changes are already happening. Gardening more and the addition of animals is a move in that direction. Each of these changes have not been hard once the skills to perform the job were learned. Then the pleasures begin to unfold. Being greeted by the chickens is a morning joy. The plain task of feeding them gives a sense of simple accomplishment when compared to teaching a recalcitrant sophomore.

Knives and Thoughts

After harvesting Dinner I've been thinking about the knives I use. With knives, like many things,it is easy to get carried away and spend more money than I really should. I think I've pared the options down to five knives. There is overlap with the use of some and probably some will be stored in various places for use when needed. Some I have and some I'm in the process of acquiring.

I carry a simple two blade pocket knife everyday. It's a Remington branded knife with 1.5" and 2" blades. I try to keep it sharp and generally abuse it, but don't worry about it much.

On weekends I often carry an French Opinel #7 with a 3" blade that I have had for years, but only the last few years have used. It it used for finer work than the pocket knife. It's great for marking in wood work instead of a pencil. I will score the wood with the Opinel before chiseling and less tear out results.

The Robeson ShurEdge that I re-handled is what I used on the turkey harvest. It worked well, but the 5" blade was a bit much a few times. I love the blade and the handle is pretty to look at, maybe because I made it. It certainly fills a need in a working knife collection. Certainly in the defense realm.

What I'm looking for now is a skeletized knife for slaughtering animals. Some thing that is easy to care for and clean. I will be getting a Buck PakLite Skinner. It's a skeletal steel knife with a shorter blade than the ShurEdge. There are others that will work, but I'm looking forward to using this knife.

I'd also like a CRKT Minimalist Bowie. It has a 2.125" blade. Part of the value and worth of a knife is how it feels and works. This little knife feels good in the hand and should be handy in many ways. I could see it as an everyday carry, replacing the Opinel in some uses.

Not everyone will agree with these choices, but where I am at this point I can use these.

To Every Thing There is a Season,

and a time to every purpose under the heavens: Ecc. 3:1



I've been wondering lately about the seasons. I wonder as I move into the next phase of my life what is life going to be like, but these thoughts are not so much about the seasons of our lives, but the seasons of the year. The days are shorter and are darker earlier and get darker sooner. Yet we try to maintain the same life we do in the summer with long days. Is this good for us?

Physically what is the toll we are taking on ourselves by not slowing down in the winter? Personally I have just finished coaching a fall sport. This entails teaching and managing a group of athletes for two plus hours each day. On game days it is at least four plus the travel time if we play in another town. In the beginning of the year this is all done in the sunlight. But as the year progresses we eventually end our games and practices in the dark. In the spring with baseball it's the opposite. We start the season in the shorter, colder part of the year, usually finishing practices and games under the lights. This is all on top of a full teaching schedule of five classes in a day.

We, actually other coaches, have coached the baseball team through a fall season and continue now to practice. There will be a Christmas break and the spring season begins when we return in January. Games begin in February. I always find in interesting that Major League baseball begins in April when our high school season in winding down.

At home Maureen has planted the majority of the winter garden. We will enjoy this bounty I'm sure. But why can we grow now? Even though the last two nights have dipped below freezing, we still have a moderate climate in the winter. We can go outside this winter on days that mostly will be sunny. We won't be digging ourselves out of a snowbank to go to work. We will complain about the fog and some frost, but relatively speaking our winter will be nice. So we try to continue our summer habits.

But is that good for us. Would we be better off to "hibernate" like the bears? I don't mean literally crawl in bed and sleep. But what if we slowed down with our activities? Shut down and let our bodies recuperate. Just because we have electricity, doesn't mean we have to use it.

You can still be productive. I'm thinking of spending this time preparing by repairing. Cleaning and fixing tools and equipment. Do one odd job around the house a day that I've been putting off. Inventorying tools and supplies and planning for future purchases. But limit the amount of time working.

Certainly this would help me, and I hope and pray I will follow through. The hectic pace of school will be with me as long as I teach. But it is up to me to limit the rest to help me have a healthy life. I need to follow my teacher and rest on the seventh day.