Category: Blogging

To all who offered condolences, prayers, and humor (did need the laughs), thank you. It’s hard to believe that it’s just been a little over a week, as in some ways it feels like it’s been two or three. Sunday was sorta weird, in that I kept expecting to see him come through the door at his usual time.

Doing confession is going to be interesting, as some there have had him as their confessor for more than 40 years. Our liturgy may start on Orthodox time (late, in other words) because now there is only Father John to hear confessions and he can’t start the liturgy until all that need to do so have done confession. Father Stevan usually took care of that.

Hopefully back to more regular posting soon. Thank you for your good thoughts and patience during this time.

Given that I almost threw the dirty laundry in the trash, and the trash into the dirty laundry bin, don’t think I’m up to writing today. Enjoy your day!

Finished up with physical therapy today, several weeks ahead of schedule because of good results. Mobility and balance are improved, working on getting strength back where needed, and making lots of progress. So much so, thinking a couple of things I would love to do may well be possible.

One is to do the bike rides previously discussed. Think Scottsdale is out of the question simply due to time (too close). Others, we will see.

The others involve travel. Not typical tourism travel; rather, there are some places I would love to go for other reasons.

The lowest on the totem pole is a trip to Vietnam. I’ve been reading about some amazing success the Russian Orthodox Church says it is having there. Not what I would have expected, and frankly I’m curious. That I also happen to like some aspects of the culture and love most of the food (Vietnamese spring rolls are the best in SE Asia IMHO) would just add to it. I would like to spend a few weeks, or even a month or three, seeing what is being done, how it is being done, and along the way practice/learn proper Vietnamese cooking.

Now, I would also love to visit the Holy Lands. Already have a good idea of where I would like to go including St. Catherine’s Monastery, burning bush, Jerusalem, etc. For a number of reasons, doubt it will happen, but can hope and am plotting it out just in case.

What I do think is doable is a trip to the Balkans. While most of it would be in Bulgaria, it would also include some time in Romania, possibly Serbia, and at Mt. Athos in Greece. If I had the money, have looked into going by cargo ship but it may be cheaper to fly. Romania has my interest because of a train trip into the Carpathian Mountains and a chance to spend a day cooking with a chef. That I could also work in some Churches and such is a bonus.

Most of my time would be spent in Bulgaria, where I’ve plotted out 20+ monasteries, ending with visiting the tomb of St. John of Rila. From there, I would go down into Greece and spend a week (if possible) at Mt. Athos. Now, I would do some other things while in Bulgaria, and am working with some natives to make sure I see the best things. Not necessarily the touristy things, but the right things.

My current plan is to use rail, bus, and other means, up to and including shanks mare, to get around. A number of the monasteries are clustered, which makes it easy to get between them, and they also can provide places to stay. Which makes the trip financially doable. With working out and continuing to do some of the physical therapy at home, it’s doable even if I have to walk a good bit.

To be honest, if I had the money, would look at hopping a cargo ship in Greece to Egypt, see some of the sights, hop a plane to Jordan to visit the Valley, then go back to Egypt and from there into the Sinai and Israel. A man can dream.

Just a crazy idea (ideas) to share with you. Who knows what will happen, but if it does happen, will be glad to post and share the adventure(s) with you.

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, 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. If you want to know some of what it is going for, read here. 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.

It seems that I may have some new eyes visiting the site, so I wanted to take a minute to get into some background that may (or may not) be of interest to new readers. Some of this may be of interest to established readers as well, as there may be some changes coming.

This blog got started more than 20 years ago thanks to a push by Joe Katzman of the missed Winds of Change blog and science fiction author John Ringo (with some assist by David Weber who pushed me a bit as well). It started as an anonymous blog to write about space, space exploration, and space politics. However, I was accidentally outed almost immediately which did cause some issues but I pressed on.

Space politics, along with defense and national security writing, led into more general politics. On some levels, I loathe politics and am not always good at institutional politics as I tend to be bluntly honest more than I should and I’ve not always had the patience I should. My being a sarcastic smartass on occasion is likely to get me killed if I’m not careful. Responding to a typical Captain Obvious with ‘No bleep! Really?!?’ is not always the best approach even if it is therapeutic.

My own political journey is interesting. My Dad raised me to be an independent, and taught me to vote for the person, not the party. My Uncle James (AL National Commander 63) was a Republican who tried to get me to go Republican early but didn’t meet with the success he might have hoped for. Sad to say, I worked very briefly on Jimmy Carter’s presidential campaign, which is ironic since I’ve spent time since then trying to clean up some of the messes he made.

My thoughts on communism/socialism (two sides of the same coin), are best left unsaid as they can get the blog suppressed. Part was shaped in elementary school when I met (and had a crush on) a Cubanita who’s father was a political prisoner in Cuba. Started meeting survivors of communism from around the world, and cordially loathed such for most of my life.

For all that I found Thomas Jefferson fascinating, I’m probably more Jacksonian in many respects these days. I used to be what would be described as a ‘classical liberal’ though I’ve always been something of a defense/fiscal conservative. I am a small-l libertarian, though I admit that if I had to pick a fictional universe to live in I would quite probably go with the late (and much missed) L. Neil Smith’s libertarian universe (The Probability Broach universe). Had a great time talking with him at WeaponsCon I, where to be there you had to be carrying one or more weapons openly. That was a fun, enjoyable, and well-behaved science fiction convention and I was honored to be a guest there. Need to raise a glass to him and to Irv tonight.

These days, I choose to describe myself as a cranky individualist and independent. The current progressive democrat party is what it is (socialist/communist), and the Republican side isn’t much better. I’ve been amused watching Trump/Maga take over the republican party and wear it like a skin, and the reactions both within the party and without as people realize what is going on. The times are a changing…

I think the worst president in our history was Woodrow Wilson, who started us on the path of rule by the credentialed elite (technocracy for all intents and purposes), followed by FDR, then the Peanut, with Johnson/Obama/Clinton sorta tied. Waiting to see exactly where I put the Biden Regency, but for now will put the Peanut ahead. All of them make Andrew Johnson, Pierce, etc. seem good. I’m willing to entertain discussion on such, as there are a few darkhorse candidates out there as well and a good case can be made for Franklin Pierce just being mediocre.

My political desires are to see the massive growth of the federal government undone, and a return to the Constitutional Republic as intended. The government that governs least, governs best IMO. Within that, I want maximum individual liberty, which happens to coincide with a central point of my religious beliefs. A man (male or female) can’t make a truly free choice if constrained. It’s why Free Will is such a thing in Christianity, and I think that it also applies to our governance. Which begs a good discussion one day soon to get into how the common definition of “freedom” has changed over the years. One is free to do what is right versus one is free to do whatever one wants.

All that said, there may be some changes here as I grow into a new life. Getting hit by lightning ended my old life, and I have a chance to make a new and better life. I honestly do feel I’m alive for a reason, and trying to figure out what it is I’m supposed to be doing is a matter to which I have been paying some attention. After all, if lightning didn’t get my attention, what might come next?

If my health was better and I was younger, monastic life has some appeal. That said, I don’t see it as a viable thing given age and health. As it is, a semi-monastic routine does work for me, in that right now I do best with structure and routine. I suspect some form of lay ministry could be in my future, which also means I may need to not be as blunt, and sarcastic, as I can be. Patience most definitely is a virtue and I need to practice that as well. I also need to work on my use of invective, though I have been working to reduce it for a while now.

This doesn’t mean some of the word play is going to go away, or that I plan to pull punches in discussing situations. It does mean, however, that I want to be/need to be perhaps a touch more diplomatic. Or at least a little less pugnacious. Then again, not sure where the whole thing about priests and saints being milquetoast came from, as I seem to recall more than one time two (future) saints got into fistfights at some of the early councils, and wasn’t it reported that St. Nicholas punched Arias?

We will see what happens. I do feel that some of my work on disaster and emergency preparedness is something I’m supposed to be doing. It may be I concentrate more on that and some other topics than politics. But, the future is unwritten, and it is up to us to write it. For me, I hope and plan to do a lot more writing, with God’s help and guidance. Meantime, I wanted new readers to have a bit more background on myself and the blog. Discourse is welcome and good, and I value the great comments and discussions so many of you regular readers bring to the site. Let’s keep that going.

Onwards.

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, 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. If you want to know some of what it is going for, read here. 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.

I’m headed out to the Lightning Strike and Electrical Shock Survivors annual meeting, thanks to your help and encouragement. I’m not taking the laptop with me, so probably not a lot of posting until I get back. May have a couple of surprises to share, looking forward to being back in the Knoxville and Pigeon Forge areas.

More soon.

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, 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.

Back in this optimistic post, I mentioned that I was doing some discernment. For those who prayed for such, my fullest thanks! I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, and trying to figure out a number of things, including what I am supposed to be doing with my life.

One of the few things I’m sure of right now is that — for now — this blog is supposed to be part of what I am doing. While preparedness seems to be the driving part, some of the other things I write about are important as well. If any of you have thoughts on this, sing out in the comments. One caveat to what is below is that I have always tried to point out things happening here and there that I think are important, and intertwined in ways not readily apparent. I plan to continue that almost no matter what.

On the subject of preparedness, I’ve always tried to push the mental focus as being key. Yes, having x number of y widget is important; but, what is truly important is realizing that things happening on the other side of the world can have an impact here, and that an ounce of preparedness is worth a pound of cure. The better prepared you are mentally and physically (and fiscally too), the less you face disasters and only deal with inconveniences.

And, yes, I’ve been told that if I had true Faith I would not bother with preparedness, as I should trust in God to provide everything in need. That doing and teaching preparedness indicates I don’t trust God. Far from it, and as of now I don’t see that mindset as being scripturally or theologically sound.

In point of fact, there are a number of times where God has pointed out bad things are about to happen and to prepare. Noah being one such most people have heard of… The mindset reminds me a bit of the joke: A man was up on his roof as flood waters approached, and a neighbor driving by stopped and offered him a ride; he declined, saying “God will save me.” Then a National Guard truck came by as the water got even deeper, and again the response was the same. Then a boat came by, and again the response was the same. Finally, a helicopter came by, and the man again refused saying “God will save me.” Shortly after, the house collapsed and the man drowned. Standing before God, he angrily demanded to know why God had not saved him. God replied, “I sent a car, a truck, a boat, and a helicopter, what more did you want me to do?”

I suspect God wants us to be smart enough, independent enough, to look after ourselves in the proper ways, and to have the wisdom to turn to him and let him handle the important things. Sometimes large, and sometimes small, as I’ve seen both in my life.

If you’ve got thoughts on this or on what you would like to see more of, let me know. Keep in mind, however, that my journey in Faith and in the Church may limit time and ability. I’m looking at both what I do within the Church and in some things outside but related. I’m also starting to look at doing a pilgrimage that would take me to visit the Church founded by my patron (name) saint if possible, then on to our mother Church and then down ultimately to Mount Athos for a time. Would love to tour the Holy Lands, but that most likely would be another trip. There has also been some discussion of some possible lay ministry via a cafe/restaurant.

So, again, your thoughts and prayers for discernment are appreciated, as is your thoughts on what I do here. In some ways I write for myself; but, I’m also wanting to write things you want (and like) to read. Sound out.

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, 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.

Still hope to get at least one “real” post up today, but we will see. Meantime, as the room turns, I did manage to get the new grocery cart put together and ready to go. Really like being able to steer!

I also finally sat down and worked through some issues with site and hosting. Thanks to support at said hosting, was finally able to get in and do some critical upgrades, tweaks, and other delights. Even sprang for a paid plug-in upgrade since it was on sale for $30. All should reflect in a better experience for you and for me. Nice to have those issues dealt with.

It will be interesting to see how the rest of the day goes. I have some things I need to do, but am unsure if trying to go do them is a good thing. We will see. Onward.

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, which include moving once we have medical issues cleared up, 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.

I want to thank everyone who donated, hit the Wish List, and prayed. The laptop is fixed and I am back in operation. While I can post from the phone, I literally can’t see what I’m typing and while I can get a momentary glimpse if I work hard, it literally is under a second. Much easier and less messy coming in from the laptop.

My goal is to catch back up on things, and respond to previous comments now that I can do so. May take a while, but that is the plan.

No medical tests next week that I know of, but that could change. We are still working to get a day of testing scheduled, and with how things are going I more than halfway expect that I will get one of those fun ‘oh it’s on for tomorrow morning’ calls one afternoon. ENT coming up soon, both for testing that complements the neuro consult and because I’ve been having some vertigo. That got scheduled for election day, so I voted early to be safe. All I can say is that I know how I voted, but I will say I have no confidence in the system (here or anywhere). All the more reason everyone needs to get out and vote.

If anyone can hit the tip jar, please do so. Among other things I would like to pay $100 for the guitar lessons as instead of four lessons I get five when I pay ahead. Not sure yet on truly learning a new skill, as that means getting notes and chords memorized and to the point I don’t have to think about them, but I am having fun. IMO, memorizing the notes and names of the chords is not going well, but I’ve also been told I’m doing okay and not to sweat it by my instructor. It may seriously take a year (or more) to get all the info into long-term memory, but meantime I’m having fun with it and slowly getting better with my playing. Got a ways to go to truly being good, but that just takes practice (and lots of it!).

Also, just got some water purification gear from the Wish List, so Thank You to whoever sent it! It is much appreciated.

There is more to share, but want to wait until next week on some of it. May what is left of your weekend be Blessed!

More soon.

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, which include moving once we have medical issues cleared up, 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.