Our mission, as God-fearing and God-loving patriots, is to defend this Constitutional Republic and to increase its greatness, in all good things and ways, by using our voices in free but courteous speech, by discussing the happenings of the world and coming to a profound understanding of those things, and by sharing and promulgating these Truths on both this platform and others.
Welcome. Please visit this January 1st daily thread for the rules of the road, which are few but important.
Header Image: 2024 Presidential Election Map by County
Do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. — Galatians 5:1
We got our miracle. America is back.
Let us dedicate ourselves to seeking our place in the cleansing, healing, and rebuilding of this beautiful, resource-rich nation. God will guide us.
Prayers and thanks to God for our 47th President, Donald J. Trump.
Remembering.
With gratitude to our own kind Wolf for reminding us of DePat’s recommended prayers for times of spiritual warfare, let us consider praying this one today.
Litany of Humility
O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the desire of being loved, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being extolled, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the desire of being honored, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being praised, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the desire of being preferred to others, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being consulted, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the desire of being approved, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being humiliated, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the fear of being despised, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of suffering rebukes, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the fear of being calumniated, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being forgotten, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the fear of being ridiculed, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being wronged, Deliver me, O Jesus. From the fear of being suspected, Deliver me, O Jesus.
That others may be loved more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. That others may be esteemed more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. That others may be chosen and I set aside, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be praised and I go unnoticed, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. That others may be preferred to me in everything, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
Author: Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val y Zulueta
Charity
Charity is patient, is kind; charity does not envy, is not pretentious, is not puffed up, is not ambitious, is not self-seeking, is not provoked; thinks no evil, does not rejoice over wickedness, but rejoices with the truth, bears with all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Cor. 13:4-7).
To have Charity is to love God above all things for Himself and be ready to renounce all created things rather than offend Him by serious sin. (Matt. 22:36-40)
Twitterati.
Our J6 P.O.W.s are always in our hearts with the fervent desire that all wrongs would be undone and each target and their families be made stronger and more whole than ever.
God Bless America, Land that I love. Stand beside her, and guide her Thru the night with a light from above. From the mountains, to the prairies, To the oceans, white with foam God bless America, My home sweet home.
Welcome. Please visit this January 1st daily thread for the rules of the road, which are few but important.
Header Image: 2024 Presidential Election Map by County
The Scouring of the Shire.
Reading and reflecting on Tolkien’s final chapter in The Lord of the Rings might help us place ourselves at this time. Fandom tells us: “Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin arrive in the Shire to find that things are not as they once were when they left. The Shire is now run by Sharkey based at Bag End, who with Lotho‘s help had taken over with his band of Ruffian Men. The four hobbits collect as many allies as they can and defeat his army of Ruffians at the Battle of Bywater. The Hobbits then confront “Sharkey” and the lowly Gríma Wormtongue at Bag End, who both meet their demise.”
So, while the noble hobbits had been off saving all of Middle Earth, the “commies” had set up shop in their homeland and caused great harm that will require bravery, wisdom, and a lot of work to undo. It appears that we are somewhere around the beginning of the Battle of Bywater now.
Do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. — Galatians 5:1
We got our miracle. America is back. Now what?
Let us dedicate ourselves to seeking our place in the cleansing, healing, and rebuilding of this beautiful, resource-rich nation. God will guide us.
Thanks be to God for our 47th President, Donald J. Trump.
The Role of County Government in Elections.
Take a good look at that 2024 Election Map. See the outline of each county?
When trying to understand how to get traction locally in turning the tide for liberty, it seems to come down to the governance at the county level. And from what is being turned up with the groups I’m following, it looks a lot like there is state level and national level collusion to influence or control the governments of those 3,069 counties that are responsible for overseeing our elections. I’ll get into those details in another post.
Reading that overview from NACO, they start out by stating:
Elections in the United States are administered in a highly decentralized process through which each state shapes its own election laws
Well, mostly. The states shape their own election laws, but, as with anything else, federal laws also impose requirements on state and local governments. Maryland’s State Board of Elections gives a helpful overview of these major federal election laws here. The most recent election-related law passed by Congress is known as HAVA.
Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002 This law was the U.S. Congress’ response to the 2000 Presidential election and the first time that the federal government authorized federal funds for election administration. It created the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) and set minimum standards for voting systems. It also required each state to adopt uniform standards on what constitutes a vote, implement provisional voting, post certain information at polling places, maintain a statewide voter registration database, and required certain individuals to show identification before voting.
Sounds good right?
Except. There are county elections officials are not following the laws, and yet are still taking the federal money to buy their electronic voting machines. If they didn’t follow the federal laws, then taking that money anyway would be fraud, right?
Thankfully, there are Americans that have stood up and gotten to work discovering and working to address the failures of our elections officials across the nation. I’d like to highlight one citizen oversight group that has done much with an all-volunteer organization.
We want valid elections that are run in full compliance with the law.
I strongly encourage you to watch this short video of a presentation by Marley Hornik of United Sovereign Americans. She goes over the legal framework for election integrity, starting with the constitution and provides the statute citations that must be enforced if we are to have free and fair elections. She also covers what they found when they audited the voter rolls of just 20 states prior to the 2024 election. They found over 29 MILLION apparently ineligible voter registrations, 10 million votes cast by those ineligible voters, 2 million more votes cast than voters that voted, and an average 13% vote error rate. Every invalid registration is potentially a felony level violation. Their organization is litigating with states over their failure to clean up the rolls and unlawful certification of non-compliant elections. They have a good strategy for which states to sue in order to potentially cause a circuit split which could get this heard at the Supreme Court without having to sue all 50 states. Or better yet, maybe the Department of Justice will just do their job.
The United Sovereign Americans Action Plan includes (1) informing everyone of election validity law, (2) turning findings into evidence, and (3) forcing election officials to obey the law.
Unfortunately, election officials across America have displayed apathy, disdain, and disregard for the law, and the civil rights of the people they are hired to serve. This has resulted in the certification of elections that varied from the law. Some of these elections were grossly inaccurate. Whether it was incompetence or malfeasance, those who broke the law must be held accountable.
Thank God for their work. May many more Americans join them in their efforts.
God Bless America, Land that I love. Stand beside her, and guide her Thru the night with a light from above. From the mountains, to the prairies, To the oceans, white with foam God bless America, My home sweet home.
Welcome. Please visit this January 1st daily thread for the rules of the road, which are few but important.
Header Image: 2024 Presidential Election Map by County
Do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
These are the kind of powerful words that motivated America’s founding fathers to create the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. — Galatians 5:1
It is going to require a decision on our part to “stand firm” and “not submit again” before we are going to begin to take this seriously. But we have the help of God and the intensely determined support of our President, his team, and untold numbers of our fellow citizens.
We got our miracle. America is back. Now what?
Let us dedicate ourselves to seeking our place in the cleansing, healing, and rebuilding of this beautiful, resource-rich nation. Are we to pray? Of course. Are we to vote? Absolutely.
But we know there is much to do and not all is certain. We might find ourselves asking, “What am I to do in these amazing days of transformation?” God will guide us.
Priorities.
The Trump-Vance Administration Priorities page @ WhiteHouse.gov provides us with the eagle’s eye view of where we are going. Notice the order of these priorities. Safety of the people first! May the Lord grant us wisdom, strength, and good success.
MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN
President Trump will take bold action to secure our border and protect American communities.
This includes ending Biden’s catch-and-release policies, reinstating Remain in Mexico, building the wall, ending asylum for illegal border crossers, cracking down on criminal sanctuaries, and enhancing vetting and screening of aliens.
President Trump’s deportation operation will address the record border crossings of criminal aliens under the prior administration.
The President is suspending refugee resettlement, after communities were forced to house large and unsustainable populations of migrants, straining community safety and resources.
The Armed Forces, including the National Guard, will engage in border security, which is national security, and will be deployed to the border to assist existing law enforcement personnel.
President Trump will begin the process of designating cartels, including the dangerous Tren de Aragua, as foreign terrorist organizations and use the Alien Enemies Act to remove them.
The Department of Justice will seek the death penalty as the appropriate punishment for heinous crimes against humanity, including those who kill law enforcement officers and illegal migrants who maim and murder Americans.
MAKE AMERICA AFFORDABLE AND ENERGY DOMINANT AGAIN
The President will unleash American energy by ending Biden’s policies of climate extremism, streamlining permitting, and reviewing for rescission all regulations that impose undue burdens on energy production and use, including mining and processing of non-fuel minerals.
President Trump’s energy actions empower consumer choice in vehicles, showerheads, toilets, washing machines, lightbulbs and dishwashers.
President Trump will declare an energy emergency and use all necessary resources to build critical infrastructure.
President Trump’s energy policies will end leasing to massive wind farms that degrade our natural landscapes and fail to serve American energy consumers.
President Trump will withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord.
All agencies will take emergency measures to reduce the cost of living.
President Trump will announce the America First Trade Policy.
America will no longer be beholden to foreign organizations for our national tax policy, which punishes American businesses.
DRAIN THE SWAMP
The President will usher a Golden Age for America by reforming and improving the government bureaucracy to work for the American people. He will freeze bureaucrat hiring except in essential areas to end the onslaught of useless and overpaid DEI activists buried into the federal workforce. He will pause burdensome and radical regulations not yet in effect that Biden announced.
President Trump is announcing an unprecedented slate of executive orders for rescission.
President Trump is planning for improved accountability of government bureaucrats. The American people deserve the highest-quality service from people who love our country. The President will also return federal workers to work, as only 6% of employees currently work in person.
President Trump is taking swift action to end the weaponization of government against political rivals and ordering all document retention as required by law. President Trump is also ending the unconstitutional censorship by the federal government. No longer will government employees pick and require the erasure of entirely true speech.
On the President’s direction, the State Department will have an America-First foreign policy.
BRING BACK AMERICAN VALUES
The President will establish male and female as biological reality and protect women from radical gender ideology.
American landmarks will be named to appropriately honor our Nation’s history.
Trying to Keep Up.
This page @ WhiteHouse.gov/news is a great place to follow along as everything begins to unfold. Every executive order shows up instantly and they just keep coming.
So much there: Articles. Briefings & Statements. Fact Sheets. Presidential Actions. Remarks.
A big Thank You to all the team serving in this administration! And an even bigger Thank You to our 47th President, Donald J. Trump.
Twitterati.
Very recently I finally began to read in the X.com space. The platform is suspicious of me and therefore I do not have an account. Probably due to the basic efforts I’ve made to retain some level of privacy. Oh well.
The kind people here have shown me the way to view people’s feeds by using the Nitter.Poast.org site. It’s opened up a whole new world of information. Very helpful.
I have a new favorite follow. And I recommend her to you. Nicole Shanahan. She was RFK Jr’s running mate. She’s as informed, active and feisty as they come. Nicole Shanahan‘s feed is following the Senate confirmations and a LOT more.
For fresh news on our J6 people and a lot more, Julie Kelly might be the place to visit.
Prayer.
God Bless America, Land that I love. Stand beside her, and guide her Thru the night with a light from above. From the mountains, to the prairies, To the oceans, white with foam God bless America, My home sweet home.
Dear Q-Tree, Something apparently came up with Bako Carl so that he wasn’t able to get his usual Sunday post up. Seeing no other subbed in posts this is basically a Sunday placeholder. Please pray for Carl as we don’t know what is keeping him from his typical uplifting post.
This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!
I went searching Bible Gateway for “be still and know” and found this timely inspiration!
For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. According to alamoth.[b] A song.
1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, 3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.[c]
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. 5 God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. 6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts.
7 The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
8 Come and see what the Lord has done, the desolations he has brought on the earth. 9 He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields[d] with fire. 10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
11 The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Footnotes
a. Psalm 46:1 In Hebrew texts 46:1-11 is numbered 46:2-12.
This SPECIAL CYBER MONDAY open thread is VERY OPEN – a place for everybody to post whatever they feel they would like to tell the White Hats, and the rest of the MAGA world.
Say what you want, comment on what other people said, comment on people’s comments. Keep it civil. Treehouse rules, but expect lots of QAnon.
Today we continue our Thanksgiving Holiday 2023 with the inclusion of the more recent FIFTH DAY of the weekend, CYBER MONDAY. We remain thankful that we still have CASH, and don’t have to pay for things via embedded RFID chips in our hands, and wireless transmitters in our heads.
W
PS – if you bought a firearm this weekend, consider paying for some TRAINING to go with it. You can NEVER go wrong with professional training WITH your new firearm. Put enough rounds through it that you know exactly how it behaves. Then, make sure you have a PLAN for safekeeping of it. Have a great week!
“Victory begins with a PLAN.”
To Y’All:
This post was based on our emergency Black Friday post. We will return to our regularly scheduled classic Monday posts, in Wolf’s version of Wheatie style, next week.
Hope you had a great Thanksgiving Thursday, Black Friday, relaxing Saturday, and serene Sunday. See you in the comments!
This SPECIAL BLACK FRIDAY open thread is VERY OPEN – a place for everybody to post whatever they feel they would like to tell the White Hats, and the rest of the MAGA world.
Say what you want, comment on what other people said, comment on people’s comments. Keep it civil. Treehouse rules, but expect lots of QAnon.
Today we continue our Thanksgiving, with thanks that we still have CASH, and don’t have to pay for things via embedded RFID chips in our hands, and wireless transmitters in our heads.
W
PS – if you do buy a firearm this weekend, consider paying for some TRAINING to go with it. You can NEVER go wrong with professional training WITH your new firearm. Put enough rounds through it that you know exactly how it behaves. Then, make sure you have a PLAN for safekeeping of it. Have a great weekend!
“Victory begins with a PLAN.”
To Y’All:
This was an emergency Black Friday Post. DePat has been very busy, she must be getting a well-deserved night’s sleep, and THE BOYS are jumping in with a quick substitute.
BRING YOUR OWN DRINKS!
Hope you had a great Thanksgiving and that you have a great Black Friday, Cyber Monday, or whatever. See you in the comments!
Some time back I was using Flep’s Twitter page–a longtime Q-Tree author–as a jumping off point to see what he was choosing to tweet about. He used to write nearly daily posts here at the Q-Tree sharing so much info on current events & his viewpoint was quite enlightening. He stepped away from the Q-Tree to focus on election issues in the lead-up to the 2020 election & hasn’t been by here much since then, that I am aware of.
Back then I was doing a series of posts inspired by Flep’s Tweets and actually had one in development still so I am taking Cthulhu’s advice again & working up one of my draft posts to fill in again for DP while she cares for her family.Please continue to lift DP in your prayers! I will leave what was gathered for that pending post below the black divider line that is about half-way down the page just to see what, if any, of the material is not being censored & to give us a snapshot from the pre-January 6 coup era to reflect upon.
DP stopped by yesterday to share news on her family situation here:
At about 1:30 this morning, my mother went to God. As per her family tradition, she waited until she was alone to do so. Both of her parents went that way, as well as a number of other relatives.
Thank you so much to all who have been doing the dailies. I anticipate being back for the Wednesday post next week. There are so many things we are in the middle of doing.
Please, pray for my sister who is exhausted. My dad is going to be lost.
Thanks for being here for us and praying.
DePat
So let’s see what is currently happening by using a number of resources to come up with leads on current events. By the way, I’m sorry if any of this material overlaps things that have recently been shared at the Q-Tree. Doing this fill-in back-to-back post work as DP is dealing with her family situation has made me realize how much of a sacrificial effort of love DP has been putting in, to develop FOUR back-to-back currently focused posts Every Week.DP has been doing such Herculean work to the benefit of the Q-Tree for such a long time–we owe her Many Thanks!!! Please keep her & her family in your prayers…
Note, I just added DP’s comment about her mom above but am not otherwise planning to tweak this post as it’s getting too near the midnight launching hour. I finished working on today’s post in the early hours on Tuesday & noticed that some of the links in this post were already shared in yesterday’s discussion. Thanks for ALL the wonderful thoughts & links the amazing Q-Tree family brings each day to keep Wolf’s Pack so well-informed AND armed for the many battles that are ongoing. You guys Absolutely ROCK!!!
Well my initial plan to begin with Flep’s tweets is now thwarted by the fact that his twitter account is closed 🙁 I wonder if Flep left Twitter of his own volition or if he continues to be banned there, like me? Here is the most recent version of the Internet Archive where his Twit World account was still active:
Here’s a link to the pinned tweet thread from November 13, 2020 where Flep was doing a detailed analysis of the electoral fraud in Georgia related to Dominion. It’s interesting that the pinned tweet appears to have been saved through some French language version of Twitter that May have assisted Flep to dodge the censors for a while.
I hope Flep is doing OK & has found a good place to land with compatriots who are continuing to encourage him in the fight. I would Love to see him drop by the Q-Tree…
A cursory search for him via Yandex and his longer screen name of Fleporeblog did not return current material, unfortunately. Here is the most recent working link to his old blog:
OK strangely it’s possible that the powers that be were actively messing with Flep’s blog for there is this one from February 2019 that survives in the archives still:
I’m not going to keep looking to see if there are other examples of the blog being restored after disappearing. It sure looks like Flep was over the target!!!
Please forgive the way this post will appear as the links won’t be as well organized as DP does with her epic posts. My feet of clay will be clearly on display 🙂 not that they are Ever very well hidden here at the Q-Tree!
Highlights from perusing Gab.com, no particular order:
So since I’m still banned on Twitter/X I now use Gab.com for primary social media interactions. I signed out of Gab to see what shows up on their main page of interest.
found at this Gab https://gab.com/David_Citizen/posts/111168000163454667
THE DEMONIC DEMS HEADED BY SATAN AND HIS HORDES WITHIN OUR U.S. GOVERNMENT are working 24/7, attacking those that have been in the forefront in the fight to uphold TRUTH, JUSTICE and THE AMERICAN WAY, like Mike Lindell. He’s not only stood strong for President Trump he stands strong and is outspoken in his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Men and women like them are sold out in their love for America and working hard to restore it to normalcy, sanity and the acknowledgement of the Great Creator, the Lord God Almighty!
The demonic Democrat hierarchs and their followers are evil to the core, illegally using our American Legal System with 100-year-old cases that are bogus garbage to take down and destroy our U.S. Constitutional sovereign Republic that’s been enjoyed by American citizens since the proclaimed Declaration of Independence of 1776.
Lara Logan dropping one truth after another about the current state of the southern border and all of the child sex trafficking being allowed to take place under the biden administration.
https://gab.com/KRYPTORNATION/posts/111167716122679727 has a really rude meme involving aka BHO that may or may not be true…perhaps KBK would appreciate this…
The history taught schools is nonsense. It’s all about memorizing basic facts and dates. People who really study history, understand the interconnectivity between government, finance, and industry, and that’s what they don’t want people to know.
2 minute video explaining how banks own & control government using Honduras as an example, from ClassicalLearner.com
It would be great if Gab posts would embed here like Twitter currently does. Copying the Gab content here doesn’t present nearly as clean of a look, unfortunately…sigh…
Not wanting to disappoint anyone who expects “too much information” from me…let’s see what’s currently playing at Whatfinger.com 😉
Please note that some of these items Appear like broken links to me, but they are still active, so I am including the URLs in the captions where possible…I’ll try to clean this up before the final posting but bear with me if it’s a bit chaotic (I was trying to find the correct links to put in captions for things that Had been working but then disappeared)
https://comments.whatfinger.com/2023/10/03/breaking-controversial-zero-bail-policy-takes-effect-in-los-angeles-allowing-non-violent/ Whatfinger take: ALL CRIME THAT IS NOT VIOLENT NOW LEGAL IN LA: BREAKING: Controversial zero-bail policy takes effect in Los Angeles, allowing non-violent… Rob any store you want, as that is the intention of the Democrats, to destroy all business
Whatfinger take on the above link: Preparing for the Coming Storm: Fraud in the 2024 Elections The road is hard: This is our time, and our fight, and our obligation to all those who have come before us to cherish and defend the dream of liberty and justice for all – CFP
JUST IN: Video emerges of Judge in Trump Fraud case discussing his ability to OVERRULE A JURY based on his assertions and feelings about the case.. pic.twitter.com/g3RO21LXYM
If this country's going down, and if we're losing the dollar, I'm going down fighting. And I don't care if that means fighting Republicans, Democrats, the Uniparty, the leadership, the PACs, the lobbyists. I've had it. pic.twitter.com/OqaSQrsBFs
Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) on her effort to expel Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY):
“It’s not just the act of pulling a fire alarm … It was during an official proceeding. That is the same thing that they have gone after those individuals who walked into the Capitol on Jan. 6th.” pic.twitter.com/tVxzFQun1L
Wow. This video from inside the courtroom speaks volumes. Watch NY AG Leticia James stare at Trump. She looks like an obsessive creep. Then watch the Judge smile for his moment in the sun. These people are deranged, Marxist tyrants. pic.twitter.com/s11O9kshEP
This video is a masterpiece and documents the people who have been complicit in crimes against humanıty.
All these journalists, scientists, and politicians belong on the defendants’ bench, because their behavior has caused harm to millions. pic.twitter.com/DIOoMLgep1
Here’s the official trailer for “Police State.” Please watch and share! Movie is in theaters Monday, October 23 and 25. Virtual premiere is Friday, October 27. All tickets only at https://t.co/L3EAH8QJTZpic.twitter.com/zjlnn07hFc
How many coincidences can there be in #plasmidgate?
Clearly that is a Ton of material to chew on going forward. Below is the historic material I was gathering when then planning to update the Flep’s Twitter Travels items…what a difference nearly three years makes!
Time Capsule Incoming!
This is the beginning of that existing draft post material:
Well this is hoping to pick up where I left off in the last Flep post here:
[VC Note 10-3-23, the above link was the original post at the old blog but this is how it is accessed now: https://www.theqtree.com/2020/11/02/fleps-twitter-travels-5/ ]
Here’s is Flep’s twitter page where you can find his twitter journeys:
https://twitter.com/Baba9773
Well Score, Flep just put up a new pinned tweet thread so we’ll start there first!
Joe Biden’s plan to BAN FRACKING is an Economic DEATH SENTENCE for Pennsylvania. A vote for Biden is a vote to Ban Fracking, Outlaw Mining, explode energy costs, and totally DESTROY Pennsylvania. Get out tomorrow and VOTE #TrumpPence2020! pic.twitter.com/niFJw558En
#NC#EarlyVoting To those of you who are peeing in pants about NC, here's the Targetsmart model. D lead in '16 at this time was 10 pts and now it's 0.9 pts. How can Trump do less well in '16 in NC? No way no how. NC will be to the right of FL by a few pts. Trump wins easily. pic.twitter.com/ce0GX9yO0r
#FL#EarlyVoting 3pm update. D lead at 112566, up, from trickling VBMs, by only 4.4k since 8am. It will end less than 120k, in the lower half of my estimate range. It is much less than where Ds need it to be to have a chance. Trump wins FL hands down, and with it presidency!! pic.twitter.com/d71z6swvCM
Biden was a pathetic laughing stock all over Washington for the horrible way he handled the H1N1 Swine Flu. Even his own Chief of Staff said he didn’t know what he was doing!
#FL EarlyVoting 1pm update. D lead at 110798, up by only 2.6k since 8am. Even at tomorrow, it will be less than 120k, in the lower half of my estimate range. D lead is much less than where Ds need it to be to have a chance. Trump wins FL hands down, and with it presidency!! pic.twitter.com/vsiLuwz1No
For 47 years, Sleepy Joe Biden betrayed Hispanic-Americans. Now he wants to close your small businesses, eliminate school choice, and attack our Hispanic Law Enforcement Heroes. I will always stand with the incredible Hispanic-American community! pic.twitter.com/4KMnlRkg7c
The straightest electoral path to 270 for Trump is the Core 3 + 1
Core 3: FL, NC, AZ +1: one of MN, WI, MI, PA
As referenced on the Rush Limbaugh show last week, we believe Trump will win the Core 3. Per our last tweet we see Trump winning PA, thus securing the Core 3 + 1.
BREAKING: DOJ is sending personnel to 44 jurisdictions in 18 states to “monitor for compliance with federal voting rights laws.” pic.twitter.com/1XlaSFV6MN
Just learned that Sleepy Joe Biden is campaigning in Pennsylvania with Lady Gaga, a proud member of “Artists Against Fracking.” This is more proof that he would ban Fracking and skyrocket your energy prices…
This story is FALSE. They did nothing wrong. But the ANTIFA Anarchists, Rioters and Looters, who have caused so much harm and destruction in Democrat run cities, are being seriously looked at! https://t.co/3pmbMllPWS
#FL#EarlyVoting update D lead now stands at 108123, up by only 13k since yesterday am. This is at the low end of my estimate of 100k-150k. Last yr, it was 96k. With extra 811k VBM requests this yr, Ds came up with just 12k extra votes. A disaster for them. Trump wins FL!! pic.twitter.com/TjTy5Gk5EV
Allegheny County councilman in Pennsylvania: 'I'm an elected official. I have had at least a dozen Democratic elected officials tell me that they are voting for Trump… but as Democratic elected officials they can't come out and say it.' https://t.co/i4AH2zqS7q
This deep dive on early voting in key battleground states validates SPR recent polling in #pa, #wi, #Fl, #NC and #AZ showing close races and strong potential for Trump victories. https://t.co/yu6Oofg5ep
Pennsylvania: Biden said that he doesn’t want Fracking. Besides, and more importantly, his handlers won’t allow Fracking. That would be the end of Pennsylvania!
Biden did a very POOR job of handling H1N1 Swine Flu, yet all he talks about is Covid, Covid, Covid, like he would actually know what he is doing. He doesn’t. Plus, he would be TERRIBLE with the Economy!
Chris Wallace of @FoxNews, by far the lowest rated of the Sunday morning news programs, can’t get over his poor debate performance, probably even worse than Sleepy Joe’s. His show is a total “hit job” on your favorite President, me!
In my opinion, these patriots did nothing wrong. Instead, the FBI & Justice should be investigating the terrorists, anarchists, and agitators of ANTIFA, who run around burning down our Democrat run cities and hurting our people! https://t.co/of6Lna3HMU
For decades, Joe Biden let other countries rip you off and cheat America blind! The only people who’ve benefited from his policies are himself & his family. He shows up every 4 years, and then goes back to D.C. and caters to his special interests. My only special interest is YOU.
Thank you to all law enforcement for your service. I know the people of Pennsylvania and our country appreciate you keeping us all safe. https://t.co/tKzsQs6KOW
Toledo and Pittsburgh endorse @realDonaldTrump , first Republican endorsements in Democratic areas since 1988 and 1972, respectively. https://t.co/y3aj7g3tUo
— Rich Baris THE PEOPLE'S PUNDIT (@Peoples_Pundit) November 1, 2020
Biden will terminate school choice, eliminate charter schools, defund religious schools, ban prayer in public schools, indoctrinate your children with Anti-American lies, and force you to subsidize extreme late-term abortion. We believe that every child is a Sacred Gift from God!
#FL#EarlyVoting 6p update D lead now at 102538, only up 7.6k for the day. It doesn't include Miami-Dade or Sarasota, I think. But we're looking at 110k max, way below 299k minimum, or 650k (or even 900k) Ds needed. Trump wins FL, and by extension the nation!! pic.twitter.com/gdddlllx5J
Just delivered our family's ballots to a voting dropbox while a huge MAGA/Trump Truck parade was going on in Northern Los Angeles County. Was quite an experience! Loved it!
Joe Biden is the candidate of rioters, looters, arsonists, gun-grabbers, flag-burners, Marxists, lobbyists, and special interests. I am the candidate of farmers, factory workers, police officers, and hard-working, law-abiding patriots of every race, religion and creed! #MAGA
WISCONSIN! Vote to defend your family, your Country, and the American Way of Life. Get out and VOTE TODAY before In-Person Absentee Voting ends. Your vote will MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! https://t.co/1ZHvrX3Hgk
This newspaper has not supported a Republican for president since 1972. But we believe President Trump, for all his faults, is the better choice this year.
When I originally became your all time favorite President, the Great State of Michigan was hemorrhaging car companies and jobs. Plants were closing and moving to Mexico, and other places. No new plants for decades. I stopped the moves, & now many plants are and have been built…
The legendary actor, 007 Sean Connery, has past on to even greener fairways. He was quite a guy, and a tough character. I was having a very hard time getting approvals for a big development in Scotland when Sean stepped in and shouted,“Let him build the damn thing”. That was….
Tell me, what Republican candidate has won Iowa and Ohio in a romp, put Florida to bed by 9PM, and lost the election?
— Rich Baris THE PEOPLE'S PUNDIT (@Peoples_Pundit) November 1, 2020
#FL#EarlyVoting update 8am. Dem Lead now at 94905, down from 486k just 11 days ago, well below what they need to have hope. I think it'll end up in 100k-150k range by tomorrow. Given Ds had requested 811k more VBM ballots, Rs are in a great position to win FL. EC Landslide! pic.twitter.com/HiioMvkfvX
A vote for Biden and Harris is a vote to Ban Fracking, Ban Mining, and Completely Destroy Pennsylvania. A vote for me is a vote to remain ENERGY INDEPENDENT! Let’s WIN PENNSYLVANIA, get out and VOTE!pic.twitter.com/aR8iwO6Gvl
Joe Biden has vowed to ABOLISH American Oil and Natural Gas. Today I signed an order to strongly protect Pennsylvania's energy & fracking industry. If Biden & Harris get in, they will terminate this order and implement the Green New Deal. Get out and VOTE! https://t.co/gsFSghkmdMpic.twitter.com/VJMr2IeIgo
Joe Biden has been a disaster for African Americans and Hispanic Americans—I am fighting for citizens of every race, color and creed. We achieved record low unemployment rates. I signed landmark Criminal Justice Reform, and we will deliver School Choice! https://t.co/gsFSghkmdMpic.twitter.com/o6bZkdj4Fg
Similarly, we found Indy moves to Trump in Arizona, Pennsylvania, Florida and Ohio.
Really depends on the state. Think a lot of others too mistook a more partisan lean as an Indy swing when it was not. https://t.co/WZY8z8SNy7
— Rich Baris THE PEOPLE'S PUNDIT (@Peoples_Pundit) November 1, 2020
#FL#earlyvoting 6pm update D lead is at 91065, -25k for the day. Accounting for still arriving VBMs + blue counties opening extra days for IPEV, it could go back up to 130k by ED. Even if so, Trump is all but assured to win FL. Rs will crush on ED. GO VOTE! #MAGA2020pic.twitter.com/BkWAENizCD
For the last 4 years you have seen me fight for you – and now I am relying on YOU to deliver another historic victory for our Country. A vote for me and the Republican Party is a vote for the American Dream! Get out and VOTE!#Election2020#MAGA🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/5EyXIHjfib
Thank you Pennsylvania! With your vote, we will continue to support our Military, Veterans and our Police Officers. Biden and Harris would pass legislation to slash police funding all across America. They stand with the rioters – we stand with the HEROES of Law Enforcement! #MAGApic.twitter.com/qqTZPLqzFV
It’s nice to see that at least so many of the people that Flep tweeted about still have a presence on Twitter/X & that all conservative voices there haven’t been silenced! Hope they are not actually controlled opposition meant to deceive us 🙁
I was thinking that both 9/11 and January 6 were extreme watershed moments in our nation’s history. The first was used to justify the satanically misnamed Patriot Act passing the Congress unexamined. The second was to justify the extreme weaponization of government, via the “Patriot Act” at least in part, against Patriotic Americans exercising their God-given rights. I often check copyrights on my reading material to see if they are pre-2001 or not. At this point the material saved from this original draft post represents what was being discussed after the debacle of the 2020 Presidential Election but before January 6, 2021 when some of us still had hope that Truth & Justice would prevail.
Like watching video from September 10, 2001, this saved snapshot of materials curated by Fleporeblog & captured by me in November 2020 reveals aspects of a more hopeful time; before the coup against America had been solidified and our society was fractured by so many deliberate & diabolical lies of genocidal totalitarian psychopaths. Those “good old days” are now gone forever. God grant us the ability to rightly restore the Republic so that our children AND grandchildren might know & love & live in an America that is Free & again founded on Biblical Truth & our precious Constitution. In God We Trust!
Well Dear Q-Tree family, I hope you have a blessed day. Thank you for indulging me as a substitute author while DP continues to focus on her family. God Bless You All!
Speaking of snapshots of another era, here is a link to a post I wrote just before January 6, 2021. The scriptural truth contained within remains timeless…
So I am taking Cthulhu’s advice & working up a draft post that has been pending for a while to use for one of my fill-in posts for DP while she is tending to the needs of her family in this challenging time. Please keep DP & her family in your prayers…and as Duchess reminds us daily, please pray for one another…
This post was originally begun as a reflection on our journey as my husband transitioned from purchasing, which he had done for more than 20 years, into truck driving. It was intended as a reflection on the past year but through procrastination now is from slightly more than a year & a half since jumping with both feet into that transitional time.
Note: if you don’t care to read what is a personal testimonial, please just scroll down to the next time you see the below page divider. Thanks for stopping by!
Some of you may recall that I was asking for prayer as this journey unfolded, when my husband precipitously decided to leave his long-time company, just months after getting a 25 year “award”, to go to trucking school. What was billed as typically a 6 week process in our particular case dragged on for more than 3 months in the schooling portion before the job search could officially begin. There were many ups & downs & significant frustrations as the system, including the state entities, conspired to keep my husband, & our household, in a seemingly ceaseless state of flux.
During this season of upheaval, uncertainty, & frustration there were a number of songs that really ministered to my husband & helped him hold on through all the changes. Some of these songs even ended up being part of the worship sets that Michael played as he continued to faithfully minister musically at church and have one area in his lifestyle that remained relatively unchanged. This post’s title, “Furious Love”, grew out of a reflection on some of the music that ministered to him during this very challenging time 🙂
The video below, being filmed near Michael’s birth-zone, is personally moving to him…
During transitions, upheaval, & uncertainty focusing on the Lord, His peace that passes understanding, His provision, & His comfort were keys to overcoming the obstacles…
God did provide for us in sometimes miraculous & very timely ways over the many months we were without direct income. A number of times God spontaneously moved on the hearts of people to give us money, just when we really needed it, & had mentioned it to no one but the Lord. It was scary, exciting, and even strangely serene to be in a place where God alone was the source of our supply & there was sometimes a sense of wonder and definitely a pervasive deep gratitude when He would come through Just In Time for our material needs, especially as He also continued to address those needs we both faced in emotional and spiritual arenas.
This next song has been ministering to my husband for quite a while, especially in relation to work upheavals. Years back Michael made a lateral move within his company to a different site & returned to purchasing after a few years as Shipping Manager at the company’s corporate headquarters. One motivation for this change was to get out from under the boot of a VP who was his direct boss while over shipping. For a season it was like M had been exodused out of Egypt and he really enjoyed his new boss & some of the perks of the location. Well, tragically M’s new boss had a massive heart attack at work & went home to be with his Lord. This unexpected vacancy in the company ended up being filled by the very VP M had rejoiced to previously escape from. The stress, sorrow, & intensity were overwhelming & Michael ended up playing this song on his way to work nearly daily as a way to shore himself up in the Lord.
It turns out that TobyMac, Toby McKeehan of DC Talk fame, wrote this song & filmed this video shortly before unimaginable tragedy struck in his own family. His son died unexpectedly & Toby’s music & faith was a huge part of what helped him get though that unbelievably painful season, as he shared in the clip below the music video…It is such a tremendous blessing to us all when others allow their pain & heartache to be molded in the Potter’s hands & used to minister to the needs of others–To God be The Glory!
One of Michael’s favorite songs & music videos, featuring wolves in an unflattering light
TobyMac shares about losing his son & God’s comfort
There are many uplifting and heartfelt comments at the above video, including:
1 year ago (edited)The fact that He said “God is kind” is nothing but the Holy Spirit. Human beings alone cannot do that by themselves after something like the loss of a child. Toby is a man of God, he is. And when you walk with God & you give your life to Him & things go terribly south in your life.. there’s gonna be many moments when you’re gonna be able to look at God and say, “You are still good.” God’s comfort is like no other. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFwrsv0bdrI&lc=UgxmSUcrIWGtHeDRve94AaABAg
Details on TobyMac can also be found here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TobyMac
Getting back to our personal journey, Michael has mentioned a number of times how instrumental I was in helping him through some of the darkest days of his transition into trucking. He has wrestled significantly with areas of change in his life (don’t we all) & God has enabled me to really be a stabilizing influence for him, & our kids, in times of major upheaval. [At one point I was doing quite a bit of work on PTSD issues & began a blog as a repository of both the researches & the reflections–something I can return to and further develop as the seasons of life permit.] He has said that he thinks of this movie scene as a good representation of the way he sees certain of my interventions in his life…
This next song has spoken to me for many years especially in the “desert place”, the “wilderness”, & “the road marked with suffering”. The pounding of the special needs parenting situations created Many Times when the message of this music was so very relevant. Years ago our young assistant pastor & his wife were expecting their first child, who tragically died in utero just before her due date. They played this song at their daughter’s memorial service & I will always associate it with that loss laid on the Altar.
Although none of us will ever suffer to the degree that Job endured in scripture it is a beautiful thing to take the sufferings & hardships in our lives and pour them out like drink offerings to our Lord, allowing Him to transform them into beauty in His Kingdom.
This next song has been one that’s ministered to me over the years in times of heartache, stress, & loss; bringing key scriptural truth alive musically. Though perhaps a bit dated now the album from where I first heard it, Integrity Hosanna Music’s “My Refuge”, helped me through many dark days, broken engagements, & even deaths in the family. There is something so healing to the wounds of the soul in making the Choice to praise the Lord when it truly is a Sacrifice of praise. He is Always Worthy & focusing on Him in adoration during seasons of suffering can actually be a mechanism that He uses to ease our pain.
So now in hindsight, the journey to a stable trucking job was pretty interesting & challenging. In the natural world my husband worked for 3 different companies, one for days, one for weeks, & one for months, before landing his current job, which he’ll have been at for a year next month. The variety of work he encountered: fuel delivery, bottled gas delivery, & over-the-road training, plus gravel hauling exposure during an interview process for a job he didn’t accept, have served to make him especially thankful for the job where he landed. He is doing a daily route making local/regional deliveries for a large distribution center mostly associated with the heating & cooling industry.
He is often in the position of driving a B truck for A truck wages, which is an ideal scenario according to one of his truck-driving school instructors. His boss and co-workers are pleasant to work with, which hasn’t always been the case in his career trajectory. His job-related stress is Way down. Overall he is much happier at this job, is now in better shape physically, & is mostly adjusted to the Very Early weekly schedule this position requires–he wakes up at 3 am, leaves at 3:30 am, & starts his shift at 4:30 am.
He managed to pursue a number of hiking and backpacking adventures with some friends during this transitional time including 2 separate 55 mile hikes along Lake Superior’s Pictured Rocks lakeshore. We just returned home from his most recent backpacking trip last weekend! This major hike revealed to him how much better he’s doing physically since the same hike last year. He hasn’t had lingering pain nor fatigue, so even though he’s a year older it’s like his body is younger now than it’s been in years!
Pictured Rocks Lakeshore
Also I can thankfully report that just this weekend we discovered that he is apparently healed of what appeared to be a gluten allergy. I asked for help here at the Q-Tree in identifying what might have been going on with him physically after he had a sudden onset of troubling digestive symptoms following a weekend back-packing trip. Several of you suggested it could have been “Beaver Fever” or giardia, but Michael was convinced he had sudden onset gluten sensitivity. Regardless, whatever the condition was–& it caused him significant problems & missed work a number of times in the early months–it now appears to be healed or resolved. We even had an experimental pizza dinner at a favorite local restaurant to test his digestive status, without issue Finally. I am so thankful that Michael can now be liberated dietarily, though he plans to continue a number of his healthier eating habits going forward since there have been benefits to some of these changes. I cannot emphasize how much this represents a weight lifted from his shoulders! PTL…again!
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Lake Superior Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
We’ve also mostly adjusted to the many family changes that occurred in this transitional time. All of our kids also faced significant changes while Michael was going through his lengthy transition. Our oldest son & daughter-in-law became parents for the first time just a few months after Michael made his huge leap. They are actually now expecting another baby in a few more months! In addition Nathaniel has joined Michael in the creation of a new band that just recently started practicing in our home. They haven’t worked together musically before so this really is a new & exciting adventure for them & the guys that are rounding out the band. I am thankful to have band practice in our home for the first time after more than 2 decades of musical endeavors on my husband’s part.
Nathaniel recorded this cover for a contest, which is when we discovered that he has such singing talent…
Another aspect of family transition involves our middle son Brandon, who had been working as a hydraulics technician at Michael’s old company & ended up leaving some months after M did. This son had gone through Fire Academy while still a full time employee & was making efforts to change his career to that of a Fire Fighter. He ended up being hired on by the City of Detroit & is now almost done w/ his 6 month EMT training phase & about to begin Fire Fighting training for the city next month. Like my husband, each time he is facing a time of transition it becomes quite overwhelming. We are available to shore him up as needed, & to give him an outlet to process some of the crazy situations he’s encountered working for & in Detroit…He is in joyful pursuit of a lifelong dream!
Seeing our special needs son Josiah marry & move-out & then return to live with us part time, at a time when we were also having a dear friend stay with us for almost half a year as he was dealing with his own life’s upheaval, was a Very Challenging addition to the ongoing chaos. Helping Josiah with his marital upheaval was a very demanding & emotionally draining strain on both Michael & I but was also used in God’s economy to model marital reconciliation strategies for our friend who was reeling from his own marital trauma. Because of Josiah’s autism this very personal journey was lived out very directly in an unmasked manner before our friend, overlapping the majority of his stay with us.
Finally our daughter & son-in-law went through the dual changes of becoming parents & moving into their own home almost simultaneously. Thankfully by the time This baby was born Michael was settled into his new job so that we had steady income & the familiarity with the new schedule & lifestyle for me to be able to help Clarissa in the birth process while Michael & her brothers helped her husband in moving their belongings from his dad’s house to their new home while C & the baby were still in the hospital. They have not done all that must be done to have their home fully functional yet, so periodically Clarissa will come by to use aspects of our kitchen in the creation of some of her culinary masterpieces.
We are blessed to have our youngest & oldest kids & their spouses & kids live in our neighborhood now. Our youngest son alternates between living with us & living a couple miles away in our city with his wife & her multi-cultural & partially disabled family. Our middle son has been stopping by regularly, especially on Sundays, to have some dedicated family time. In fact he just left our home after doing “gear day light” with my husband as they are preparing for an upcoming bow-hunting trip next weekend.
Life is good, relatively stable now, & abundant in a number of ways–Praise the Lord!
Tomorrow I’ll try a post that is more current events focused. Today I hope our Q-Tree family will be happy to bring the links & the insights in our typical treehouse fashion.
If you need leads for where to find such material, please consider checking out some of the sites WolfMoon has suggested in this post:
I enjoy perusing Whatfinger.com for links among many other sites 🙂
Thanks for stopping by. May the Lord guide, direct, protect, & bless us as we all keep fighting the good fight in our individual lives, our families, our communities, our nation, & our world! God Bless YOU!
Hi Q-Tree this is a super quick post in case Carl is unable to post his usual Sunday teaching & encouragement. Per reports on sister blogs, Sylvia’s at least, Carl is pretty sick with Covid & needs our prayers.
So no matter what is swirling around us, or within us, Jesus is Still Lord…
Here is a site that has compiled a number of Bible verses that expound on Jesus as Lord:
In the New Testament, Lord is the most frequently used title for Jesus Christ. Although we rarely use this term in our daily lives, we are all quite familiar with another word: boss. That is basically what Lord means—one possessing authority, power, and control. The Word of God describes Jesus as the head of the church, the ruler over all creation, and the Lord of lords and King of kings (Col. 1:15-18; Rev. 3:14, 17:14).
Jesus is Lord: Scripture Meaning
Following the resurrection, the term “Lord,” being applied to Jesus, became more than an indication of devotion or respect. Stating, “Jesus is Lord,” became a way of recognizing Jesus’ divine standing.
References of Jesus as Lord started with Thomas’ declaration when Jesus arrived at the apostles after His resurrection: “Thomas said to him, ‘My Lord and my God!’” (John 20:28). From thereafter, the message of the Apostles was that Jesus is Lord, signifying that “Jesus is God.”
Peter’s sermon on the Day of Pentecost carried that idea: “Let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah” (Acts 2:36). Peter later declared this in the house of Cornelius, stating that Jesus is “Lord of all” (Acts 10:36). It is important to note that in Romans 10:9 Jesus’ lordship is connected to His resurrection: “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
The declaration “Jesus is Lord” indicates that Jesus is God. Jesus holds “all authority in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18). He is “Lord of the Sabbath” (Luke 6:5); “our only Sovereign and Lord” (Jude 1:4); and “the Lord of lords” (Revelation 17:14).
What Makes Jesus a “Lord”?
The realm of Christ’s reign covers everything that happens in heaven and on the earth. No one—not even those who deny His existence—can be free of His rule or outside His sphere of authority. Although Satan tries to convince us that liberty is found in doing what we want, true freedom is acquired only through submission to Christ’s loving lordship.
Even death cannot release anyone from the authority of God’s Son. He is Lord of both the living and the dead. All people must decide to either yield or rebel against Him, but they have the opportunity to make this choice only while they are still living. After death, they will acknowledge Christ’s lordship through accountability to Him. If we have not bowed the knee to Jesus in life, we will be forced to bend it in the judgment.
Have you submitted to Christ’s rule over your life? His authority causes anger or fear in individuals who have not yet yielded to Him, but those who have experienced His loving kindness trusted in His goodness and surrendered to His authority take comfort in knowing Him as the Lord of their lives.
These are long days of darkness & often despair, but we who know the Lord need fear no evil for the Lord is with us. He has promised never to leave nor forsake us, which is a great comfort in times of tremendous turbulence. So as we keep fighting the good fight let’s continue to look to the Lord, the author & finisher of our faith, our soon coming King!
May God Bless YOU Richly, Today and Always. In Jesus’ Love, Valerie
OK, straight up apologies, Dear Q-Treepers & Friends, for this likely stream of consciousness post very loosely inspired from our dear Daughn’s nostalgic posts. This is going to veer about in personal family history domains so is meant as a bit of a slice of Americana…
Detroit’s skyline as viewed from the Ambassador Bridge
Grandpa S. came to stay with us at some point for an extended stay while I still lived in my parents’ home. I think it was after my grandma had died but before I went away to college. Grandpa had been sick and so lived with us for a season as he regained his health & his strength. There were times he’d watch Price is Right with my brothers & I & encourage us to make guesses on the various games, which we all thoroughly enjoyed.
Grandpa was a bit of a gruff man having grown up in the Motor City & having a Northwoods lumberjack for a father. He was a self-made man of limited education, never having finished high school. An avid outdoorsman and good with his hands he knew how to work hard and he was respected and even loved by many people from practically all walks of life. He had deep practical wisdom & was even flexible in his lifestyle deciding to take up new hobbies as a widower, like candle AND candy making. He had a zest for life & perpetual twinkle in his eye!
Ty Cobb in 1913 in Detroit, the era when he let Grandpa & other kids into the ballpark by the back fence to watch the games for free!
Well one day while he was staying with us the phone rang unexpectedly. Being the oldest kid it fell to me to answer the call, as my parents weren’t home at the time. Some gravelly male voice on the other end of the phone was looking for a “Lefty” & I was concerned. The only “lefty” I could imagine would be some fictional gangster or ne’er-do-well. Anyway with tremulous voice I mentioned to Grandpa that someone was looking for “Lefty”. He snatched the phone from my hand & bellowed out in his own testosterone truncated tongue “Lefty here!” I was beyond flabbergasted, My Grandpa Was Lefty!!!
Obviously this was a pretty basic nickname for a man who was left-handed, especially growing up in an era when being left-handed was a “sinister” condition. Both he, my dad’s dad, AND my mom’s mom, were left-handed & suffered the indignities that went along with being different & the punishments typically meted out for errant usage of the “wrong” hand in those bygone days. Both of these grandparents had less than beautiful handwriting but were surely more ambidextrous than most. My youngest brother is also blessed with this left-handedness & it definitely contributed to some of his sporting successes, especially his ability to be a switch-hitter on his high-school baseball team! I think he was also more competent with both feet as a soccer player than were most teammates too.
Grandpa had been a pretty poor student during his formal education. In fact, after his death, when my parents were going through his things they discovered a lone report card saved from nearly 8 decades before. Apparently this “all S” card was the best he ever did. That was based on a grading system of U=Unsatisfactory, S=Satisfactory, & E=Excellent, I believe. Basically grandpa got the equivalent of an all-C, straight average report card & that was the treasure of the ages. How easily did the high marks of so many in our family line become blasé. We didn’t really understand what it was to suffer ridicule for poor marks, well most of us didn’t…
My dad is going over my post with me & said that on Grandpa’s report card there were 12 things to be graded on per marking. In the 1st card marking he got 4 S’s & the rest U’s. 2nd marking was 8 or 9 S’s the rest U’s. The final card marking he got all 12 S’s. My grandpa wrote on that report card “Best report card I ever had” & saved it all those years. Neither my dad nor his sister knew about that card before grandpa’s death.
Not Grandpa’s report card, but one from the era when he first attended school
Grandpa did throw things away, including stock certificates for companies that went belly up during the Depression, per my dad. He provided for his family during his lifetime & had less than $1,000 to his name when he died…& a new car that he called “my second to last car”. My brother got that late ’80’s Tempo after Grandpa’s passing.
Now according to my dad his dad had one of his grade school teachers as a regular customer at his gas station & garage in the heart of Detroit. Some three decades after she taught him she would berate him with “see I knew you’d never amount to anything” when she came to fill up or get some car service from him or his employees. Imagine being dogged like that as a self-made business man, yet Grandpa didn’t stint on the service in spite of the disrespect.
In fact dad is quite sure that Grandpa accepted Scrip during the war years, and my other grandpa, being a teacher, was paid in scrip too. It is quite likely that Grandpa S’s cruel elementary teacher paid in scrip AND much of that payment never was converted to Actual Money (I don’t know all the social reasons for that) so Grandpa took care of that teacher’s material needs even as she maligned his interpersonal & self-esteem ones. He truly was the bigger man.
Not my Grandpa’s gas station, but his brand in his era
When looking for possible images of Grandpa’s old Sunoco gas station at Junction & Toledo in Detroit I ran across this nostalgic discussion of old Detroit area gas stations.
During the Second World War, at some point rationing was on. This meant that even in the Motor City it was hard to get what one needed to maintain functional transportation for the masses. Dad said that Grandpa had an old vulcanizing machine, that could be used to patch tires, and that his dad practically single-handedly kept Detroit on wheels! If he could have brought that machine with him to Northern Michigan when he retired it should have ended up in a museum, how significant was it’s contribution to keeping Detroit moving!
1945 Ration Book from the region, this example from Illinois
Speaking of Northern Michigan let’s segue a bit. My Grandpa’s dad had grown into manhood in the Northern Michigan lumbering industry, though he himself was a mid-Michigan farm boy. He left home, possibly even before his teen years to work in lumbering. He drove the horse-drawn wagons, worked as a lumberjack, and later was some type of foreman.
The company he worked for was owned by a Mr. Lowrey and at one point Lowrey’s son made his way into the woods to get his lumbering chops with the working guys. Apparently the lumberjacks were a pretty rough group of customers & Great-Grandpa took the boss’s son under his wing, showed him the ropes, AND protected him from the brutish thugs. This was noticed by the boss so later on when operations were moved South into Detroit Great-Grandpa was invited to come along and manage the lumber yard. That’s what he did for the rest of his working life. AND that is how that side of my family came to Detroit, right about 1900!
Logging in Michigan, 1890’s, when my Great Grandpa was still working in the Northern Michigan woods
Apparently Great Grandpa S. was a pretty tough customer too. He was tall, over 6 feet, with a fairly slender build. Even so, he was incredibly strong. One time Grandpa, as a young man, or even teen, had occasion to do some work at his dad’s lumber yard. There were train cars to be loaded or unloaded of 50 pound bags of cement, I believe. Grandpa would carry a bag in each hand & fling them in a smooth motion up to stack even over his head. Dad said that his father had very strong hands & even used to play handball at the Y in Detroit. Anyway G observed GG breaking up a fight amongst some unrulies in the lumber yard. When they wouldn’t stop the fight Great Grandpa stepped in & with One Blow Each felled each man. My grandpa was in shock that his dad could or would do that, this was someone not to mess around with!
Ironically my dad & his friends also experienced Grandpa’s physical & character strength for themselves. There was a time in their teen years that dad & his buddies took out the family car joy riding, over 50 miles of driving without ever leaving the Detroit city limits. Apparently Dad didn’t think to put more gas in the car so the next day as Grandpa was headed into work at His gas station, he ran out of gas. Grandpa somehow got a hold of Dad’s buddy & lifted him one handed off the floor & stuck him to the wall. What happened to Dad during that timeframe has always been rather murkily glossed over. I know my dad inherited this skill set for I once witnessed him lift up one of my brother’s cocky little friends up off the floor & stick him to the wall, though he used 2 hands in this surprising intervention on the now more subdued teen!
So we’ve had Michigan’s North Woods in our blood for a number of generations. Now fortunately my Grandpa S. married my grandma, the daughter of a railroad engineer–both of her parents were children of immigrants from the British Isles. Grandma’s dad had a fairly cushy job that he’d worked into on the Michigan Central Railroad. One of the perks of working for the railroad was getting the family to ride the rails, for free, I believe. Grandma’s family used to regularly travel Up North and enjoy Summer vacations in Michigan’s beautiful North Country, far from their native Detroit.
Historic Arbutus Beach, on Otsego Lake, MI in the era when my grandma’s family vacationed there
Eventually Grandma’s parents settled on a small community in Gaylord and bought a Cottage, being the first such building in the newly platted resort community of Arbutus Beach, along the beautiful sandy shore of Otsego Lake. Nearly all of Grandma’s siblings and many cousins ultimately obtained cottages in that community. My grandparents married in the late 1920’s and somehow acquired one of the existing Cottages in Arbutus Beach, as its second owners. My dad & his sister, along with their mother, spent virtually Every Summer of their childhood in that Northern Michigan paradise. Surrounded by family & friends they’d leave Detroit the day after school let out & only head home the day before school started in the Fall. Grandpa would join them for both journeys, I think because there was only one car. Grandma & the kids either caught the train to/from town or perhaps bummed rides from relatives with transportation.
How my great grandparents moved their cottage to Arbutus Beach, details here: https://specialconnections.wordpress.com/2017/06/29/josiahs-story-about-the-4th-of-july/
Now that same Cottage ended up becoming my grandparents’ retirement home, somewhat unexpectedly. Up until the Race Riot era of the late ’60’s both sets of my grandparents expected to live in their Detroit homes for the remainder of their natural lives. However during that season of social upheaval block-busting real estate agents put the pressure on & ultimately both sets of grandparents winterized Summer cottages to become their then retirement homes.
The simpler times of my dad’s youth saw Otsego Lake rarely shackled, as it is now, by excessive docks or boats
The Gaylord Cottage would figure largely in my own life too. When my new husband & I decided to come to Michigan–we had met & married in Oklahoma, though I was a child of the Motor City–we ended up living temporarily in The Cottage that was now in my parents’ possession after Grandpa’s death about a half decade previously. Michael & I lived in The Cottage as newly weds AND as new parents. Our first child, Nathaniel was born while we lived in The Cottage (his height is marked on the 4 generation height-recording doorjambs between the dining & living rooms at just One Day Old!) & was gifted the nickname “The Jack-Pine Savage” because of this northern naissance. In fact I believe our son is the Only family member in 6 generations of our extended family associated with this Northern Michigan community who was born in Gaylord, though several have died there. Though our twins were born while we still lived in that community–we had bought our own house in town by that time–they were in fact born downstate because of the high-risk nature of that pregnancy & their anticipated medical needs…
If you’d like to see a Newspaper article from back when Michael & I and the Boys lived in Gaylord in the 1990’s check it out here, on pages 1, 4, & 5:
Anyway, at one point when Michael & I were moving into The Cottage we boxed up some things to make room for some of our belongings. One day we were going through some old kids books and discovered some doodlings & writings by my dad. Apparently Dad had fancied himself some type of cowboy AND given himself the moniker Wild Bill! I absolutely Loved It!!!
Whenever watching that perennial classic A Christmas Story, I can imagine my dad as a lad in the 1940’s into the ’50’s with his admiration for all things cowboy & his gun prowess. I’m pretty sure that he was Up North when practicing targeting some strategic mushrooms on top of a log. However, unlike Steve’s important Saturday reminders, he forgot to notice what was Behind his target. So successfully hitting mushrooms with his BB gun sometimes meant tagging one of his playmates inadvertently as the projectiles maintained their forward trajectory. Simpler times…
Boy with gun in the 1950’s, not my dad but similar to his era
It’s impossible to anticipate what type of gems one might unearth in an old family home! Years ago there was a major garage cleaning undertaken by 3 generations of the family. At one point an old scorched ironing board cover, complete with it’s “scorchless” packaging was unearthed. After much conversation it was returned to the archeological dig to be unearthed years, or perhaps generations from now, so the joy & consternation at our family ways can continue!
Saving that old ironing board cover reminded Dad about his mom’s dad, the railroad engineer. Apparently Great-Grandpa T. used to collect stamps. He would meticulously organize them into small piles and tie them together with small pieces of string & place them strategically in old cigar boxes. Well he kept some container labeled “String Too Short To Save” for this stamp-corralling work, apparently because that was about all such short lengths of string were good for! If you knew how much my packratedness AND that of some other family members has tormented those who are more comfortable with much less physical (& other) baggage, you would recognized that “String Too Short To Save” isn’t always a badge of honor here!
Several books had similar titles, so this metaphor goes well beyond just our family perspective & experience–yikes!
So back to Lefty AND World War II. Dad & his sister have some direct memories of the war years, though they were still Very Young when it ended. Apparently they kept a pail of pure sand in the attic in case the house were ever bombed or hit with incendiary devices. They employed blackout curtains. Grandpa was sometimes involved in some type of neighborhood patrol, well Dad says that actually the next-door neighbor Mr. Bush was the Warden, who’d knock on your door if any light showed through the blackout curtains. They sounded an air raid siren for a drill in getting into blackout conditions & the Warden would patrol the neighborhood looking for any errant lights during that drill. Ration Books were in play & plenty of food was hard to get. Street Signs were removed to prevent the enemy, should he land on our shores, from easily navigating these foreign roads. And of course rationing meant deprivations in many arenas.
One place of deprivation was in the use of gasoline. Even Grandpa, who owned his own gas station business, could not get extra gasoline. That meant that when hunting season rolled around he wouldn’t be able to head Up North to the Hunting Shack to do the traditional annual deer hunting pilgrimage, or wouldn’t he? Actually he had some cousins who were farmers and apparently the government wasn’t rationing their access to gas in Any Way. So some of these cousins arranged to leave cans of gas strategically along the side of the road, hidden in the ditch, so Grandpa could gas up sufficiently to make it to his war-time limited hunting camp!
teaser historic post card from Luzerne, MI our guys rarely see this many deer in the region nowadays
By the way, how The Shack came into the family is a bit of an interesting tale too. Grandpa, his cousin, uncle, & some friends used to hunt the state or federal lands adjacent to a farmer’s land Up North. They’d done this for some years in a remote area in Oscoda County near the Very Small Town of Luzerne. Many times these hunters had begged the farmer to sell them a small amount of land so they could put up more permanent hunting camps than their tent-based camps of yesteryear. One time they invited the farmer to join them for a meal in the large dining tent. Their camp stove gave off a spark that ignited that tent AND it completely burned before they could un-stake all the ropes & drop the canvas to the ground. The farmer decided it was no way to live so relented & sold them One Acre, which was subdivided into 2 plots & 2 hunting shacks were built there, both still standing.
The shack across the street used to have a custom-made wood burned sign (recently stolen) claiming “Piscopalian Valley”, which is what our original hunters used to call the area since the piss would go in the pail before the hunting shacks AND outhouses were put in. In fact Grandpa’s uncle Will was known as “the Mayor of Piscopalian Valley” since he would make the rounds of the many nearby hunting camps AND the “blue horse trail” camp (the blue horse trail marks an equestrian path that traverses the fingers of Michigan’s Mitten–no NOT that Mitt!–from Lake Michigan to Lake Huron and makes navigating “our” hunting zone much more interesting) & pick up all the news of the hunt & the community–what a rich history abounded there & many tales live on!
Blue Horse Trail near Luzerne passes through the family hunting grounds
Speaking of news AND WWII the way Lefty learned about the end of the war was pretty amazing. Now I don’t ever recall hearing my grandpa tell this story, but Wild Bill has good recall of it. Apparently as The War was waning Grandpa went on an extended hunting or fishing adventure in the wilds of Canada, dad said that it was a fishing trip. He was walking along a portage trail in the woods & came across a carving on a tree trunk declaring the date & time of the end of the war in Europe AND he ran across this within two hours of someone carving it, literally out in the middle of nowhere! What an amazing world!
If only that WWII was the war to end all wars & love reigned supreme
Boy were our forbears hearty & blessed people. We are blessed to carry their blood in our veins & some of their quirkiness in our behaviors & of course some of their personality & physical traits in our beings, as they continue to live on, in a manner of speaking, in & through us.
From C.S. Lewis in his Chronicles of Narnia, as recounted here: https://silo.pub/pocket-companion-to-narnia-a-guide-to-the-magical-world-of-cs-lewis.html. HONOR — To seek honor in obedience and to behave honorably may be said to be one definition of a true Narnian. In PC [Prince Caspian]15, Caspian is ashamed that he comes of such a dishonorable (Telmarine) lineage. Aslan replies, “You come of the Lord Adam and Lady Eve. And that is both honor enough to erect the head of the poorest beggar and shame enough to bow the heads and shoulders of the greatest emperor on earth. Be content.”
Veteran’s Day Addendum
Honoring our warriors, especially on Veteran’s Day!
We all owe so much to the many who have made tremendous sacrifices to fight for & ensure ongoing degrees of freedom for their fellow man. The complexity of the tapestry of lives, lifestyles, & social & family dynamics can never fully be done justice. So many different ways our warriors & their families & friends have laid down their lives for the family of man. Thank you!
I come from a family without direct modern experience in military service & warfare. However I know of numerous serviceman in the extended family who answered the call. This listing is to honor their service & sacrifice & that of so many others who have stood in the gap on freedom’s and our nation’s behalf.
Orringh Stoddard, Captain Massachusetts Line, Revolutionary War
Husband Michael’s Hagerman ancestor, United Empire Loyalist
Friedrich Bluemle, Mom’s birth great grandfather, compulsory German military service before immigrating to America mid 1800’s
Michael’s relations, both sides service Civil War, fractured family & fractured nation
William E. Curren, US Army Signal Corp, late 1800’s
Clarence E. Curren, Virginia Ship Building Co., WWI Navy
Patrick L., Husband’s father’s uncle, WWII Nave Sea Bee, construction battalion
Verner R. Shoup, Hubby’s grandfather & son of CO governor Oliver H. Shoup, WWI Army
David O. M., Mom’s birth grandfather, WWI Army
Robert D. M., Mom’s birth father, WWII Marine, action in Tarawa & beyond
Avis B. B., Mom’s birth mother, WAC WWII, service in Alaska & beyond
Hugh T., Grandma’s brother-in-law, WWII Army medical doctor
Maynard K., Mom’s brother, Korea-era Naval service, injured medical discharge
Zachary S., my nephew, Marine in modern service
My ancestor Orringh Stoddard’s letter February 3, 1780 preserved in George Washington’s papers, https://www.loc.gov/resource/mgw4.064_0179_0180/
May the Lord continue to equip us all with the tools we need to keep fighting the good fight!
Vignette of my Uncle Hugh’s military service, from his obituary “Dr. Thompson was a US veteran, serving with the US Medical Corps for three and a half years. He was captain of the 32nd Field Hospital in Italy. After VE Day, he was sent to the Philippines and Japan.” He moved his wife & kids into their Northern Michigan cottage while he was overseas during WWII, being concerned for their safety had they remained in their Detroit home during his extended absence. Service & Sacrifice!
http://otsego.advantage-preservation.com/viewer/?k=hugh%20thompson&i=f&d=01011903-12312013&m=between&ord=k1&fn=herald_times_usa_michigan_gaylord_19911024_english_23&df=1&dt=10&cid=2955 has further details on Dr. Hugh Thompson’s career & photos.
