Category: Blogging

Working On A Surprise

I’m working on a little surprise, and if all goes well I might not be posting tomorrow (Wednesday). Or, at least not much of a post (if anything goes up it is likely to be short and sweet). Onwards!

If you would like to help me with this trip, seminary courses, and more, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. I’ve added Cash App ($CliffPow7) and Venmo (@Clifford-Powers-5). There is also the Amazon Wish List in the Bard’s Jar. Getting hit by lightning is not fun! It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.

Please Stand By

I’ve made my first video in at least a decade (and boy does it show!) if not longer. What is taking even longer right now is uploading it. Two-plus hours and we are not even to twenty percent yet. However, lot of solid info from a very knowledgeable host on Bulgarian wines. I want to be on record that anyone who gets Bulgarian wines based off the Rubin and Marvud varieties into the American market and palette is going to be set for life. Forget increasing output, keep they niche and limited quantity and I think you can get prices in the $30-$50 range per bottle. They are that different and that good. Going to try to get a couple of bottles home to share.

Pilgrimage: Video

I promised to share some video during this trip, and plan to do so. I intend to post some short things directly here and over on X. However, hoping I might be able to do some longer videos, so needed a channel.

My preference would have been Rumble, as I don’t trust Google for anything ever since they shortened their motto to ‘do evil.’ However, trying to set up an account on Rumble was an exercise in frustration. Cloudflare wanted to verify I was human every time I signed in or pushed a button, and then I had to select interests and sign up for podcasters (not an interest) they were pushing. No way to move forward unless you did this, so I quit trying and walked away.

So, I now have a YouTube channel (Ailbe Studios) dedicated just to sharing things from my pilgrimage (and hopefully a few others to come) as well as about Orthodoxy and my spiritual journey. No promises on how much video or how soon, but I will be doing some, Lord willing. If I get talked into doing videos on preparedness or other topics, that will be a separate channel. More soon.

Please check out my Winter 26 Bleg!

If you would like to help me with this trip, seminary courses, and more, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. I’ve added Cash App ($CliffPow7) and Venmo (@Clifford-Powers-5). There is also the Amazon Wish List in the Bard’s Jar. Getting hit by lightning is not fun! It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.

Winter 26 Bleg Update II(?)

I want to thank everyone who has donated! I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your gifts, and more importantly, you. Your gifts and prayers have helped keep me going the last few years, and this WInter 26 Bleg is allowing me to go on my upcoming pilgrimage, take a seminary course or two, and cover some other needful things.

The original post is here, and while we got off to a very good start, things have stalled about a third of the way to the goal. I am pushing ahead with the pilgrimage and the courses, but for now am putting off the new glasses and a few other things. The pilgrimage is fast approaching, and I will be sharing as much as I can from it here and over on X. Meantime, you can hit the tip jar in the upper right, read through the original post, and I may have some new options here soon as I have to add CashApp and Venmo for the trip.

Thank you all again so very, very much. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your help!

Pilgrimage: Variety Of Prep

Sorry nothing up yesterday and today’s post is a bit short. Lots of things going on in the background, and I’m getting a bit frazzled as things seem to be accelerating faster than planned.

Yesterday, the most time-consuming item so far proved to be getting a new mobile phone. I promised you photos and perhaps even videos from the trip. The only way to do that was to upgrade my senior-citizen special several-years-old mobile to one with good photo and video capability. I got something that I think has a higher number of megapixels capability than the camera I took to Iraq. Amazing what they are doing with the sensors these days in terms of resolution and size. The phone I had wasn’t worth trading in, so I now have a spare at need. Came out right around budget: got a good price on the phone, and picked up a good case, screen protector, and charging system. Sad my old inductance charger doesn’t seem to work with it.

On the good news front, my senior citizen plan (which is actually grandfathered) has basic international roaming. Also, it turns out unlimited data and text means anywhere in the world. As long as I use data and text, I’m good. Calls are reasonable, and using wifi as much as possible is best. So, glad I don’t have to give up my senior citizen plan and can still get things done. Hoping nobody calls, and I plan to use texting a lot more than normal.

My International Driver’s License application is in, though they may make me retake the photo. Didn’t realize until today that there is not a white wall left in this house, and the automated system didn’t like my improvisation. We’ll see.

Ordered my plugs and adapters this morning, should be good on electrical as both laptop and mobile should work on the local current. If worse comes to worse, I can buy a local charger for the mobile there relatively inexpensively. Key will be making sure the laptop is good. Plan to go visit the store here soon to verify a couple of things.

The ScotteVest arrived yesterday and I’m already loving it. 23 pockets and you can effectively make it a Personal Area Network (PAN) I’m told. Do wish the RF-shielded pocket were larger, but it does give me options. More on this as I test it out. If anyone wants to send the jacket it is on the wish list…

The travel chef kit was not quite what I was expecting. Good knives, but the ‘light weight’ cutting board is heavy as all get out. Going to cut down some thin plastic cutting boards to fit, which will change that weight to about three ounces. Which will also allow me to get creative on what goes in that case. May share a picture or two here soon.

Have made the decision to go seriously minimalist on the pilgrimage, which is not how I usually pack for anything. Right now, looking at just minimal clothing, toiletries, and supplements/medicines along with the electronics. I will include some rope or paracord, but aside from that nothing for contingencies. Even looking at minimal on electronics, with just the mobile, laptop, cables, plugs/adapter, and one power pack. I may even decide to ship over the supplements and hair conditioner. Got to decide on that soon.

More soon, and thanks again to everyone who has donated so far. The Bleg has raised about a quarter of the goal, which is fantastic though any and all further help would be very, very much appreciated. Stay tuned, there is more to come.

Please check out my Winter 26 Bleg!

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, and to start a truly new life, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. There is also the Amazon Wish List in the Bard’s Jar. It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.

Winter 26 Bleg Update

Well, it’s not quite like that, nor that bad, but I really do hate to ask for the help even though I still need to.

Before going any further, I want to thank everyone who has donated to the Bleg. Your support has been amazing, overwhelming, and — like each of you — very much appreciated. I have been able to pay off everything spent on the blog, pilgrimage, and the seminary course so far (sadly more expenses to come), and even paid this morning for most of the cost of the short-term apartment rental in Bulgaria (longer post on that soon).

Some of you have hit the Amazon Wish List and I thank each of you as well. For the former denizen of Indianapolis, got the note and Thank You! I do wish Amazon gave the the means to e-mail a thank you to all of you. As I noted before, I’ve listed the things for the pilgrimage as highest priority so if you search that way those will show up. Yes, there are a lot of supplements on there, and I hope to ship them over ahead of time. Have taken one or two things off as they are no longer needed or you’ve shown me some better options.

Again and again, I can’t thank you enough for your generosity, your encouragement, and your prayers. It truly is amazing and humbling.

That said, we still have a ways to go. The pilgrimage is likely to be a little over the estimated $7,250; I still need to upgrade the cell phone and service for the trip and get the prescription sunglasses and such at $2,435.00; plus remaining expenses for the seminary courses. I’ve got more detailed breakdowns in the original post.

So, the Bleg continues and I truly do thank you from the bottom of my heart for the support. It truly does make a huge difference, and is making it possible for me to continue to grow, recover, and pursue this new life. God Bless you all.

UPDATE I: A couple more items from the wish list arrived just after this post went up. I want to thank you for both of the items, and for your kind words on my writing. Thank you!

Winter Bleg 26 5 March

First and foremost: THANK YOU to everyone who has donated to my Winter 26 Bleg! Particular thanks go out to Vodka Pundit for his post at Instapundit that brought most or all of you here. In addition to the automated thank you, I’ve hopefully sent a quick thank you to everyone I could. To all of you who donated anonymously, please accept my thanks! I also very much appreciate all the comments of support, prayers, and more that have been given. I also want to thank JC and LB for sending me something off my Amazon Wish List. I’ve made all the items needed for the pilgrimage highest priority, so they should show up first.

All the gifts, all the prayers and thoughts, and all of YOU are very much appreciated. Please help spread the word, as there is still a ways to go. THANK YOU!

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, and to start a truly new life, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. There is also the Amazon Wish List in the Bard’s Jar. It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.

Winter Bleg 26 Continues

Please check out my Winter 26 Bleg!

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, and to start a truly new life, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. There is also the Amazon Wish List in the Bard’s Jar. It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.