Cap'n Bob & the Damsel

Holidays

Happy 2024

Ringing in the new and ringing out the old. So long 2023.

We continue to be in good health. We both got annual eye exams in October and new eyeglasses were issued. Our prescriptions haven’t changed in the last several years but we both needed new eyewear since the old ones were scratched and getting worn out. I have my usual visits with the specialists and there was nothing to worry about save for a few skin lesions (some were cancer) which the dermatologist removed.

Over the last few weeks, we did a first cut at the 2023 taxes and no surprises. It looks like we’ll be getting a small refund. We also calculated the 2024 Required Minimum distribution for the IRA, and it will increase a bit since the IRA fund did better these last few months. Damsel also switched her Social Security on for the coming year and we will be getting a modest increase in benefits which is completely offset by the current ruination of the Nation’s economy.

Over the last several years, we have seen relentless attacks on our God-given rights as guaranteed by the Second Amendment. We continue to monitor our favorite You-Tube® Pro-2A channels and the Pro-2A blogs to stay informed about the state of gun-grabbers efforts.

So that’s it for our New Year’s message. We’re wishing you good health and providence from The Almighty in the coming year. God Bless!

01 Jan 2024 by Holidays Money and Business Notions Retirement Second Amendment

Christmas 2023

Damsel and I wish each and everyone a joyous Christmas. We are celebrating quietly here at home with a planned feast in the afternoon of Chateaubriand, Braised Brussels Sprouts and Loaded Mashed Fauxtatoes (low-carb cauliflower masquerading as ‘taters).

The roast is from a whole beef tenderloin I recently butchered into several steaks and other beef goodies to be consumed later. We will be feasting on them for weeks to come.

Image above: The Virgin with Angels” by William-Adolphe Bouguereau, oil on canvas, completed around 1900. The original painting is in a museum in Paris, France. I overlaid the scripture on the image. you can see the original here.

25 Dec 2023 by Food & Dining Holidays Religion

Happy Thanksgiving 2023

Happy Thanksgiving from our household to yours! We will be celebrating the day of thanks by feasting, as usual, serving traditional turkey and all the trimmings (tailored to our diets, of course). We wish for you a peaceful and enjoyable day of thanks.

In yesterday mornings reading, The Patriot Post included this Thanksgiving message given by President Ronald Reagan:

We Americans have so much for which to be thankful. … But prosperity is not an end in itself. It helps us pay attention to the more important things: raising our children as we want them to be raised, helping others in need, and bringing nations together in peace. … We will give thanks for these and one thing more: our freedom. Yes, in America, freedom seems like the air around us: It’s there; it’s sweet, though we rarely give it a thought. Yet as the air fills our lungs, freedom fills our souls. It gives breath to our laughter and joy. It gives voice to our songs. It gives us strength as we race for our dreams. Think of those around the world who cannot bow their heads in prayer without risking their lives. … And then think of how blessed we are to be Americans. Yes, as we gather together this Thanksgiving to ask the Lord’s blessings. … Let us thank Him for our peace, prosperity, and freedom.

We ask you to give prayerful thanks for our freedoms and pray for peace at home and elsewhere.

23 Nov 2023 by Food & Dining Holidays

Veterans Day 2023

Arizona’s Veterans Memorial Highway

In 2004, Interstate 17, which runs from Phoenix, AZ to Flagstaff, AZ, was designated to be “Veterans Memorial Highway,” in recognition of America’s Veterans, past, present and future.

The Memorial Plaque seen here is located at the McGuireville Rest Area (southbound) on I-17 in Rimrock, AZ. Click on the image to enlarge. There may be another plaque on the northbound side, but I can’t say for sure.

To All Veterans

From Mark Alexander at The Patriot Post

vets-day.jpgIt is notable that Veterans Day shares the same anniversary date as the signing of the Mayflower Compact in 1620. That simple document, after all, is the taproot of a great nation, now a shining beacon of Liberty, which owes its very existence to the toils and trials of generations of American Veterans.

From the cold winter winds at Valley Forge in 1777 to the deadly terrain of the Korengal Valley in eastern Afghanistan today, generations of American Patriots have stood fast in defense of Liberty and at great cost.

I am certain I will never meet a seasoned war Veteran who is fond of combat, but to a man, every Patriot concurs with John Stuart Mill’s timeless note on the subject: “War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things; the decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks nothing worth a war, is worse. A man who has nothing which he cares more about than he does about his personal safety is a miserable creature who has no chance at being free, unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.”

I am equally certain that these Patriots, like millions of others since the 1789 founding of our Republic, have honored their “sacred oaths” to support and defend the Liberty enshrined in our Constitution, against all enemies foreign and domestic.

God Bless our veterans!

10 Nov 2023 by Holidays Military

Happy Independence Day!

Best wishes for a Happy 4th of July Holiday! We’re going to be celebrating by going off our diets a bit and splurge with some goodies on the grill, despite the forecast high temperature of about 108°F. That’s cooled down from the weekend’s highs of 112°F.

Clickable Image: US and AZ Flags flying above our little abode.

We’re keeping a positive attitude for our Country’s Freedom and Prosperity given some recent positive-for-freedom decisions by the Supreme Court of the U. S. There are also some promising decisions in Inferior Federal Courts that deal with the restoration of our Second Amendment Rights. Really, these are God given rights as enshrined in the Constitution of the U. S. We might point out that recent news coverage of Bruen and other Second Amendment Cases declare that these rulings are “expanding” our rights, when, in fact, these decisions are merely restoring those original rights according to the original text of the founding documents and historical tradition.

We continue to pray for our Nation on this 247th Anniversary of it’s founding. May God’s blessings fall on our Country and all the inhabitants therein. So, we hope everyone has a safe and sane Independence Day Holiday. Keep cool and God Bless.

04 Jul 2023 by Holidays Notions Patriotism Second Amendment

Easter Sunday

Today is the first Sunday following the first full moon after the Vernal Equinox — those are the criteria establishing the day upon which Jesus’ Resurrection is celebrated. Since the date bounces around from year-to-year, it can never be determined when the actual anniversary of the rising of Christ from the tomb occurs. Regardless, we recognize the event on the above defined date annually since it is the spirit of the Holy Day we celebrate.

Luke 24:1-7 (KJV) —

Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.

Happy Easter Sunday to all. Damsel and I will start the day with our Resurrection devotional service and Communion. Later, we will celebrate with an Easter Dinner here at home. He is Risen!

Unrelated to all above, our Desert Cacti have been blooming and yesterday one of the Hedgehog cactus flowers opened in all its glory. Click on the image to enlarge.

07 Apr 2023 by Family Food & Dining Holidays Religion

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